THE 


CHINESE  IN  AMERICA 


BY 


REV.   O.   GIBSON,   A.  M. 


T'ong  Ya"n  Choi  Kam  Shan 


CINCINNATI: 
HITCHCOCK  &  WALDEN. 

1877. 


05C.S 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1877,  by 

O.  GIBSON. 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


PREFACE. 


\  T  7 HEN  Mr.  Seward  was  in  San  Francisco, 
on  his  journey  round  the  world,  he,  was 
invited  by  the  Anti-Chinese  party  to  visit  the 
Chinese  quarter,  and  see  how  unfit  its  inhabitants 
were  to  become  citizens  of  the  United  States. 
And,  strangely  enough,  he  was  also  invited  by 
the  Chinese  themselves  to  make  the  same  tour  of 
exploration,  to  see  how  industrious  and  harmless 
and  profitable  that  colonization  is  in  this  country. 
Mr.  Seward  declined  both  invitations,  and  al 
though  the  Republican  party  in  California,  for 
political  reasons  alone,  had  already  acquiesced  in 
the  exclusive  policy  so  loudly  insisted  upon  by 
the  Democratic  party,  yet  Mr.  Seward  protested 
firmly  against  that  policy,  and  stoutly  maintained 
that  immigration  and  expansion  are  the  main  and 
inseparable  elements  of  civilization  on  the  Amer 
ican  Continent;  and  nowhere  more  so  than  on 

85^243 


4  PREFACE. 

the  Pacific  Coast.  He  gave  it  as  hi-s  unqualified 
opinion,  that  any  attempt  to  stifle  or  suppress 
these  invigorating  forces  must  certainly  fail. 

Now,  that  very  thing  which  Mr.  Seward,  for 
good  reasons,  declined  to  do,  this  little  volume, 
under  quite  different  circumstances,  proposes  to 
undertake.  An  effort  is  here  made,  from  per 
sonal  observation  and  experience,  to  give  a  fair 
and  impartial  presentation  of  "The  Chinese  in 
America,"  their  number,  character,  habits,  and 
customs;  their  adaptation  or  otherwise  to  the 
condition  of  things  in  this  country,  and  the  rela 
tions  of  our  Christian  civilization  to  this  heathen 
immigration. 

On  the  one  hand,  the  reader  will  not  find  this 
book  a  blind,  fanatical  advocate  of  the  Chinese, 
unwilling  to  see  the  evils  and  dangers  of  the 
Chinese  immigration  to  these  shores.  Nor  yet, 
on  the  other  hand,  will  the  reader  find  the  almost 
universal  and  frantic  cry  of  "Down  with  the 
Chinese!"  simply  in  order  to  pander  to  unrea 
sonable  prejudice  and  bigoted  ignorance,  in  the 
interest  of  any  or  all  political  parties. 

There  will  be  no  discussion  of  the  "Chinese 


PREFACE.  5 

in  China,"  further  than  may  seem  desirable  in 
order  to  bring  the  "  Chinese  in  America"  clearly 
and  correctly  before  the  mind  of  the  reader. 

Numerous  books,  interesting,  reliable,  and  ex 
haustive,  have  been  written  on  the  "Chinese 
Empire,"  its  inhabitants,  religion,  and  social  cus 
toms.  It  would  be  well,  indeed,  if  these  works 
on  China  and  the  Chinese  were  more  generally 
read  by  our  citizens,  in  order  that  they  might 
the  better  understand  how  to  meet  the  impor 
tant  question,  yet  in  its  infancy,  which  is  already 
puzzling  the  brains  of  the  most  versatile  politi 
cians  and  the  wisest  statesmen,  namely,  "The 
Chinese  Immigration." 

Newspaper  writers  have  discussed  the  "Chi 
nese  in  America"  from  various  stand-points;  but, 
generally,  their  observations  have  been  superfi 
cial,  their  information  limited,  and  their  state 
ments  highly  colored  and  sensational.  Accord 
ing  to  the  bias  of  the  writer,  the  Chinese  have 
been  represented  either  in  an  extremely  favora 
ble  or  an  extremely  unfavorable  light.  Reading 
one  class  of  these  writers,  we  should  suppose  the 
presence  of  the  Chinese  in  this  land  to  be  an 


6  PREFACE. 

unmitigated  curse.  Reading  the  other  class,  we 
might  feel  sure  that  the  Chinese  are  an  indispen 
sable  blessing,  a  real  godsend  to  these  shores. 
In  these  pages  the  reader  will  find  the  most  of 
the  real  data,  upon  which  both  classes  of  news- 
paper  writers  have  formed  their  opinions,  and 
based  their  highly  colored  statements. 

An  honest  effort  is  here  made  to  give  the 
American  public  as  clear  an  insight  as  possible, 
into  the  merits  and  demerits  of  this  question  of 
Chinese  Immigration.  The  chapters  on  Christian 
missions  among  the  Chinese  in  this  country,  it  is 
hoped,  will  be  of  interest  to  all  Christian  people. 

If  by  means  of  this  little  volume  the  general 
public  shall  come  to  have  more  correct  views  of 
this  important  question,  and  a  deeper  Christian 
interest  in  the  vast  population  of  heathen,  now 
our  near  neighbors,  and  swarming  on  our  own 
shores,  the  object  of  the  writer  will  have  been 

attained. 

O.  GIBSON. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  Sept.  19,  1876. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

INTRODUCTION, 9 

CHAPTER  I. 
NUMBER  OF  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA,      ....          13 

CHAPTER  II. 

CIVILIZATION,  CHARACTER,  LANGUAGE,  AND  CUSTOMS  OF 

THE  CHINESE  AT  HOME,  .....       24 

CHAPTER  III. 

|  IN  AMERICA — FROM  THE  STEAMER  TO  CHINATOWN,  SAN 

FRANCISCO,  .......          45 

CHAPTER  IV. 
CHINATOWN,  SAN  FRANCISCO,        .....      63 

CHAPTER  V. 
\JTHE  CHINAMAN  AT  WORK,  ,          95 


CHAPTER  VI. 

.GAN  WITH  A  Cm 

TION,  ON  CHRISTIAN  SOIL, in 


THE  CONTACT  OF  A  PAGAN  WITH  A  CHRISTIAN  CIVILIZA- 


CHAPTER  VII. 
CHINESE  WOMEN  IN  AMERICA,  ....        127 


8  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
MISSIONARY  WORK  AMONG  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA,    .     158 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MISSIONARY  EFFORT  AMONG  THE  CHINESE  WOMEN  IN 

CALIFORNIA,  200 


CHAPTER  X. 
['ANTAGONISMS— 1855-1856, 223 

CHAPTER  XI. 

REPLY  TO  FATHER  BUCHARD'S,  "CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE 

MAN — WHICH?" — 1873, 241 

CHAPTER  XII. 
,  \\ 

CHINESE  QUESTION  FROM  ACHINESE  STAND-POINT — 1873,     2$i 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE — 1876,  .        .        ..      .        293 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
"~  THE  "Six  COMPANIES"  AND  SLAVERY,  .  .     .,        .    333 

/  CHAPTER  XV. 

/MATERIAL  FACTS  AND  CONSIDERATIONS  BEARING  UPON 
A.       THIS  CHINESE  PROBLEM — FINANCIAL,  MORAL,  Po- 

S    LITICAL,  ........  345 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
THE  CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE,          .        .        .        -374 


INTRODUCTION. 


i 


HAVE  carefully  read  in  manuscript  all  the  chap 
ters  of  Rev.  O.  Gibson's  book  entitled,  "The 
Chinese  in  America,"  and  am  prepared  to  say  that  it 
contains  the  freshest  and  most  accurate  information 
on  the  subject,  from  an  American  stand-point,  which 
has  fallen  under  my  eye.  Ten  years'  experience  in 
China,  and  eight  in  California,  devoted  wholly  to 
the  improvement  of  the  Chinese  people,  gives  the  au 
thor  peculiar  qualifications  for  the  work  he  has  so 
opportunely  accomplished.  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  he  has  drawn  the  faults  of  the  pagan  strangers  a 
little  more  strongly  than  their  virtues;  but  the  book 
is  written  in  that  style  of  bold  frankness  and  robust 
honesty,  which  base  and  venal  functionaries  have 
found  to  their  cost  to  be  characteristic  of  the  author. 

The  Chinese  problem  is  intrinsically  worthy  of 
the  study  of  American  citizens.  Add  to  this  the 
factitious  consequence  which  the  machinations  of 
demagogues,  the  fears  of  the  timorous,  and  the  malice 
of  (mostly  Papist)  competitors  in  the  labor  market 
have  given  it,  and  we  have  ample  reason  for  the 
publication  of  such  a  book  as  this,  by  such  an  au 
thor,  at  such  a  time.  I  think  I  do  not  overestimate 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

the  work  when  I  say  that  to  the  permanent  value  of 
an  authentic  history  it  adds  the  piquancy  of  a  live 
discussion  of  questions  of  intense  present  interest. 
In  all  its  aspects  the  Chinese  problem  commands  the 
attention  of  the  thoughtful. 

Shall  we  recede  from  the  fundamental  maxims  of 
Manhood  Government,  dishonor  a  treaty  which  we 
virtually  forced  upon  the  Chinese  Government  for 
our  own  advantage,  imperil  the  lives  of  American 
citizens  in  China,  destroy  a  commerce  rich  in  its 
early  fruit  and  magnificent  in  its  promises  of  the 
future,  hush  our  high  boast  of  open  doors  and  un 
barred  gates,  repel  labor,  which  is  the  only  au 
thentic  capital,  and  stifle  the  dictates  of  Christian 
philosophy;  all  in  the  interests  of  sinister  jealousy 
and  an  irrational  alarm  ?  These  are  grave  questions, 
and  Mr.  Gibson's  book  will  afford  invaluable  aid  in 
the  intelligent  consideration  of  them.  They  are 
questions  of  national  breadth,.-  and  every  man,  who 
wishes  to  reason  like  a  statesman,  and  act  like  a 
Christian,  should  hasten  to  qualify  himself  to  handle 
them  with  intelligence  and  candor. 

Men  of  solid  thought  and  weight  of  character  are 
proverbially  "slow  to  speak."  The  real  rulers  of 
this  State  have  not  yet  been  heard  on  this  Chinese 
question,  save  in  the  quiet  protests  of  the  counting- 
room,  the  farm-house  and  the  kitchen.  The  mad 
ness  of  the  mob  is  apparently  already  subsiding,  and 
the  emergency  may  not  demand  a  more  pronounced 
opposition.  But  let  not  the  people  of  other  States 


INTRODUCTION.  1 1 

draw  hasty  inferences  from  the  noise  and  fury  of  the 
Anti-Chinese  ebullition.  The  Chinese  are  here  by 
the  order  of  Providence,  the  principles  of  the  Decla 
ration,  and  the  provisions  of  treaty,  and  here  they  are 
sure  to  stay  till  better  reasons  for  their  expulsion  can 
be  shown  than  any  which  have  yet  appeared. 

M.   C.  BRIGGS. 
SACRAMENTO,  CALIFORNIA,  Sept.  26,  1876. 


THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER  I.  . 

THE   NUMBER   OF    CHINESE    IN    AMERICA. 

THE  most  vague  and  extravagant  notions  pre 
vail  as  to  the  number  of  Chinese  now  in 
America.  The  Chinese  Quarter  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  and  indeed  every  Chinese  Quarter  in  the 
country,  is  densely  crowded.  In  San  Francisco, 
the  Chinese  Quarter  proper  is  six  blocks  in 
length,  running  north  and  south  on  Dupont  Street, 
from  California  to  Broadway,  and  two  blocks 
wide,  from  east  to  west  on  Sacramento,  Clay,  . 
Commercial,  Washington,  Jackson,  Pacific,  and 
Broadway  Streets,  from  Kearney  to  Stockton, 
crossing  Dupont,  the  great  Chinese  artery,  at 
right  angles.  The  streets  and  all  the  alleys  in 
closed  within  the  above-named  precincts  are  al 
ways  thronged  with  Chinese  pedestrians  coming 
and  going;  but  especially  on  Sundays  all  these 
streets  and  alleys  literally  swarm  with  the  people  9 


14  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

of  this  strange  race,  strange  dress,  and  strange 
language. 

All  day  long,  and  often  until  late  at  night,  the 
streets  are  crowded  with  Chinamen  of  all  ages 
and  sizes,  and  speaking  various  dialects,  with 
shaven  crown  and  neatly  braided  cue,  sauntering 
lazily  along,  talking,  visiting,  trading,  laughing, 
and  scolding  in  the  strangest,  and,  to  an  Ameri 
can,  the  most  discordant  jargon.  Here  and  there 
they  gather  in  groups,  very  much  like  Ameri 
cans,  mostly  on  the  corners  of  the  streets,  and 
amuse  themselves  in  trying  to  cipher  out  the 
meaning  of  some  of  the  thousands  of  strange 
hieroglyphics  of  their  own  language  that  are  plac 
arded  upon  the  walls.  Not  unfrequently  a  group 
of  these  fellows  amuse  themselves  for  a  long 
time  at  the  expense  of  some  party  of  "  white  peo 
ple,"  who,  passing  through  "Chinatown"  to  see 
the  sights,  all  unconscious  to  themselves,  present 
to  the  Chinamen  a  show  quite  as  novel  as  they 
themselves  can  boast  of  seeing. 

An  American  lady,  walking  through  their 
streets,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  some  gentleman, 
her  long,  trailing  skirts  carelessly  mopping  up 
the  filth  of  the  sidewalks,  is  to  these  practical 
Chinamen  a  wonder  and  a  source  of  amusement. 
They  may  be  called  greatly  wanting  in  good  taste 
not  to  appreciate  our  superior  fashions,  yet 


NUMBER.  15 

it  is  a  fact  that  they  look  upon  this  American  fash 
ion  of  mopping  the  streets  with  the  skirts  of  ladies' 
dresses  as  exceedingly  nasty  and  barbarous. 

The  stranger  visiting  Chinatown,  in  San  Fran 
cisco,  on  a  pleasant  Sunday,  would  likely  con 
clude  that  there  might  be  seventy-five  or  a 
hundred  thousand  in  San  Francisco  alone.  It 
may  be  that  the  Committee  who  prepared  the 
resolutions  and  address  to  Congress,  which  were 
adopted  by  that  famous  Anti-Chinese  mass-meet 
ing  held  in  Union  Hall,  San  Francisco,  April  5, 
1876, — gotten  up  and  inspired  by  the  Mayor  of 
the  city, — and  presided  over  by  the  Governor  of 
the  State, — it  may  be  that  the  Committee  took 
the  first  impressions  made  by  a  Sunday  ramble 
through  Chinatown  as  the  basis  of  their  statistics 
of  the  number  of  Chinese  among  us.  That  ad 
dress  boldly  states  that  there  are  two  hundred 
thousand  Chinese  in  California,  seventy-five  thou 
sand  of  whom  are  in  San  Francisco.  On  that 
basis  there  must  be  in  the  whole  country  about 
four  hundred  thousand,  which  is  simply  pre 
posterous. 

A  little  larger  acquaintance  with  these  matters 
will  greatly  modify  first  impressions  as  to  numbers. 
Most  of  the  Chinese  laborers  have  leisure  on  Sun 
days,  and  since  they  have  no  domestic  life,  no 
homes  in  this  country,  and  since  our  Sunday  is 


1 6  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

not  their  particular  day  for  worship,  nearly  all 
the  common  laborers  live  on  the  streets  on  Sun 
days,  simply  because  they  have  nothing  to  do, 
and  nowhere  else  to  go.  It  is  much  pleasanter 
to  saunter  on  the  streets  than  to  den  up  in  their 
narrow  bunks  and  crowded  sleeping-rooms.  On 
Sundays,  also,  many  Chinamen  come  into  China 
town  from  Oakland,  Alameda,  and  from  the  out 
skirts  of  the  city,  also  from  the  numerous  wash- 
houses  scattered  over  all  parts  of  the  city.  These 
men  improve  the  leisure  of  the  Sabbath  to  visit 
Chinatown,  in  order  to  see  their  friends,  do  a 
little  shopping,  or  attend  the  Royal  Theater. 

A  few  hundreds  of  these  Chinese  Sunday  pe 
destrians,  perhaps  a  thousand  in  all,  are  going  to, 
or  coming  from  some  Chinese  Sunday-school. 
These  generally  look  cleaner  and  brighter  than 
others  of  the  same  class ;  for  contact  with  Chris 
tianity  tells  on  this  people,  just  as  it  does  on  any 
other  people. 

When  all  these  things  are  considered,  the  first 
impressions  as  to  the  numbers  of  Chinese  among 
us  will  be  greatly  modified.  But  it  will  be  an  ex 
ceedingly  difficult,  if  not  an  impossible,  task,  to 
determine  the  exact  number  of  Chinese  in 
America.  Using  all  available  data,  we  will  try 
to  get  as  near  the  truth  as  possible.  It  is  believed 
by  the  best  American  authorities,  and  the  Chinese 


NUMBER.  17 

authorities  concur,  that  there  are  in  San  Francisco 
about  thirty  thousand  Chinese,  and  as  the  popu 
lation  of  the  city  is  about  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand,  every  eighth  man  is  a  Chi 
naman.  In  other  parts  of  California  there  are 
about  thirty  thousand  more,  making  sixty  thou 
sand  in  the  State  of  California ;  that  is,  about 
one-twelfth  of  the  population  of  the  whole  State 
is  Chinese. 

In  the  other  Pacific  States  and  Territories,  Ne 
vada,  Idaho,  Montana,  Utah,  and  Oregon,  are 
some  sixty  or  seventy  thousand  more.  A  few 
thousands  are  scattered  about  in  States  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains — in  Massachusetts,  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Tennessee,  and  Louisiana,  in  New 
York  City,  in  Chicago,  Cincinnati,  and  St.  Louis. 
In  1870  the  discussion  of  the  Chinese  question 
led  the  Commissioner  in  charge  of  the  Bureau  of 
Education  at  Washington  to  request  -Professor 
Porter  to  prepare  an  article  for  the  Annual  Re 
port  on  the  subject  of  the  influence  of  Chinese 
immigration  upon  American  civilization.  Ac 
cording  to  Professor  Porter's  Statistics,  it  appears 
that  up  to  July  1870,  there  were  less  than  one 
hundred  thousand  Chinese  in  the  United  States. 
Since  that  time,  up  to  April  1876,  according  to 
Custom  House  statistics,  about  eighty  thousand 
more  have  arrived.  Deducting  a  fair  percentage 


1 8  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

for  deaths  and  returns  to  China,  the  highest  figure 
at  which  we  can  reasonably  place  the  Chinese 
population  in  America  at  the  present  time,  April 
1876,  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 

The  rate  of  increase  has  never  been  so  great 
as  is  generally  supposed.  The  increase  by  births 
in  this  country  is  too  small  to  be  taken  into  the 
account ;  the  increase  being  almost  entirely  by 
immigration,  and  this  has  never  been  over  twenty 
round  thousands  in  a  single  year,  and  will  not 
average  ten  thousand  arrivals  per  annum  from 
1852  to  1876.  The  mortality  among  the  Chinese 
is  in  about  the  same  rate  as  among  our  own 
people,  making  about  three  thousand  deaths  each 
year.  There  is  one  fact  connected  with  this  Chi 
nese  immigration,  which  has  not  been  generally 
considered  by  writers  on  this  subject;  that  is, 
that  a  large  number,  perhaps  one-fifth  of  the  ar 
rivals  from  China  in  any  given  year,  are  those 
who  have  been  home  to  China  on  a  visit,  and  are 
now  returning  for  another  and,  perhaps,  a  per 
manent  sojourn  in  California,  or  as  they  term  it, 
"The  Golden  Mountains." 

Let  us  examine  a  little  more  in  detail  such 
statistics  as  we  have.  According  to  Professor 
Porter's  figures,  from  1850  to  1860,  forty  one 
thousand,  and  from  1860  to  1870  fifty-six  thou 
sand,  Chinese  arrived  in  this  country,  making  a 


NUMBER.  19 

total  of  Chinese  immigration  up  to  1870  of  nine 
ty-seven  thousand.  Taking  these  figures  as  cor 
rect  and  deducting  a  reasonable  number  for 
deaths  and  returns  to  China,  we  can  readily  see 
that  at  that  date,  1870,  there  could  not  have 
been  more  than  seventy-five  thousand  Chinese  in 
America.  To  this  number  add  the  eighty  tho'u- 
sand,  which  according  to  the  Custom  House  sta 
tistics,  have  arrived  from  January  1870  to  April 
1876,  and  we  make  a  total  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty-five  thousand.  From  this  number,  if  we 
now  subtract  the  deaths  and  returns  to  China 
since  1870,  we  shall  have  about  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  thousand  as  the  number  of  Chinese 
among  us  at  this  date. 

This  estimate,  however,  is  a  little  higher  than 
the  following  table  of  statistics,  published  in  the 
San  Francisco  Evening  Post,  April  13,  1876: 

CHINESE   IMMIGRATION. 

TOTAL   ARRIVALS   AND    DEPARTURES    SINCE    1852. 

The  following  statement  of  Chinese  Passengers  ar 
rived  and  departed  from  this  port  since  1852  is  compiled 
from  the  Custom-House  Records.  It  is  probably  substan 
tially  correct : 

Year.  Arrived.  Departed. 

1852 20,026        1,768 

1853 4,270        4,421 

1854        .;,..-  -,        ....      .      16,084  2,339 

i855 -3,329  3,473 

1856     , Vi"        .-  •  .    ;  '  .        4,807  3,028 


2O  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Year.  Arrived.  Departed. 


1858   .... 

c,427 

*,^j^ 

2,542 

1859  . 

1860    .... 

.  3,175 

2,450 
2,090 

1861  .... 
1862    .... 
1863  .... 
1864. 

•  8,430 
8,175 
•  6,432 
2,682 

3,58o 
2,792 
2,494 

1865  .... 

2,295 

1866    .... 

2,242 

1867  .... 

.  4,290 
11,081 

4,475 
4,210 

1869  .    .    .   :-. 
1870    .... 
1871 
1872    .... 

1873  '• 
1874    .... 
1875  .... 
1876,  first  quarter  of 

14,990 
10,870 
•  5,540 
9,770 

17,075 
16,085 
.  '   18,021 
•   5,065 

4,895 
4,230 
3,260 
4,890 
6,805 
7,710 

6,305 
625 

Total  214,226  90,089 

This  gives  an  excess  of  arrivals  over  departures  of 
124,137.  The  number  of  Chinese  in  California  before  this 
record  began  to  be  kept,  is  estimated  at  ten  thousand  ;  so 
that  the  total  of  Chinese  now  in  the  country  without  de 
ducting  the  deaths,  would  be  about  one  hundred  and 
thirty-four  thousand.  Deduct  twenty-four  thousand  for 
deaths,  and  we  have  the  round  number  of  one  hundred 
and  ten  thousand  Mongolians  now  with  us. 

But  some  Chinamen  have  arrived  on  sailing 
vessels  who  have -not  been  reported  at  the  Cus 
tom  House,  and  one  or  two  cargoes,  at  least, 
have  landed  in  Portland,  Oregon,  directly  from 
Hong  Kong.  It  is  quite  probable  that  the  num 
ber  of  arrivals  from  China  not  reported  at  the 
Custom  House,  San  Francisco,  during  the  last 


NUMBER.  21 

five  or  six  years  is  about  equal  to  the  deaths 
and  returns  to  China ;  in  which  case,  our  figures 
will  again  stand  as  at  first, — about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand. 

This  agrees  very  closely  with  the  registers  of 
the  somewhat  famous  ''Six  Companies."  From 
the  officers  of  those  companies,  I  personally  ob 
tained  the  following  figures,  as  the  total  number 
of  Chinese  in  America,  April  I,  1876: 

Ning  Yung  Company,         .         .         .  75'°°° 

Hop  Wo  Company,        ....  34>°°° 

Kong  Chow  Company,        .          .          .  15,000 

Yung  Wo  Company,       ....  12,000 

Sam  Yup  Company,     ....  11,000 

Yan  Wo  Company,        ....  4,300 

Total     •  -151,300 

So  that,  to  whatever  authority  we  turn,  political 
Anti-Chinese  clubs  always  excepted,  we  can  not 
possibly  make  the  total  number  of  Chinese  in  all 
this  land  greater  than  about  150,000. 

And  with  all  the  inviting  conditions  offered  by 
this  country  to  the  Chinese  immigration,  such  as 
mines  of  gold  and  mines  of  silver,  a  congenial 
climate  and  high  wages  for  unskilled  labor ;  with 
their  close  proximity  to  our  Pacific  coast, — the 
waters  of  the  same  ocean  washing  the  shores  of 
both  countries ;  with  cheap  rates  of  passage  by 
steamer  and  sailing  vessel  from  China  to  San 
Francisco — it  costing  the  European  immigrant 


22  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

from  three  to  five  times  as  much  to  reach  Cali 
fornia  as  it  costs  the  Chinaman — with  all  these 
inviting  conditions  it  has  taken  twenty-five  years 
to  bring  to  our  shores  this  comparatively  small 
number, — one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  from 
the  overcrowded  and  swarming  millions  of  China. 
During  the  same  time,  at  much  greater  expense, 
and  in  face  of  much  greater  difficulties,  six  hun 
dred  thousand  white  people  have  come  to  this 
State.  From  Europe,  in  one  single  year,  we 
have  received  more  than  twice  the  whole  number 
of  this  Asiatic  immigration  for  twenty-five  years. 
Moreover,  each  year,  out  of  the  total  immigra 
tion  from  Europe,  there  are,  on  an  average,  more 
persons  that  find  refuge,  at  public  expense,  in  our 
jails,  prisons,  hospitals,  asylums,  and  reformatory 
institutions,  than  the  total  average  immigration 
from  China  in  a  single  year. 

Up  to  the  present  time,  then,  there  certainly 
seems  to  be  no  real  cause  for  alarm  on  account 
of  the  extent  or  rapidity  of  the  Chinese  immigra 
tion.  If  there  is  any  cause  for  alarm,  and  we 
will  not  deny  that  there  may  be,  the  danger 
is  entirely  prospective  and  contingent,  not  pres 
ent  and  certain.  The  New  York  Tribune  well 
says  that,  even  taking  the  exaggerated  figures 
of  the  Anti-Chinese  Committee,  only  two  hun 
dred  thousand  in  twenty-five  years,  the  people  of 


NUMBER.  23 

California  in  their  present  hostility  to  the  Chinese 
"seem  to  be  chasing  a  phantom."  Much  more 
will  they  "seem  to  be  chasing  a  phantom,"  when 
we  cast  aside  the  exaggerated  figures  of  unscru 
pulous  political  demagogues,  and  consider  the  fact 
that  after  twenty-five  years  of  Chinese  immigra 
tion  there  are  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
Chinese  in  all  this  broad  land,  from  north  to  south 
and  from  ocean  to  ocean. 


24  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER  II. 

CHINESE   CIVILIZATION,    CHARACTER,    LANGUAGE, 
AND    CUSTOMS. 

THE  civilization  of  the  Chinese  Empire  is 
the  oldest  known  in  history.  While  other 
nations  and  empires  have  risen  and  fallen,  the 
Chinese  Empire  has  continued  to  hold  sway  over 
its  vast  domain,  and  to  keep  under  governmental 
control  the  largest  population  ever  subject  to  a 
single  power.  The  Government,  which  is  Abra 
ham  ic  or  Patriarchal  in  theory,  but  like  some 
others  of  more  modern  date — corrupt  in  prac 
tice — is,  nevertheless,  sufficiently  powerful  to 
hold  in  check  and  comparative  order  the  im 
mense  mass  of  four  hundred  millions  of  human 
beings. 

To  do  this,  requires  organizing  and  executive 
ability  of  no  mean  order.  So  that,  however  low 
the  masses  may  be,  still  the1  past  history  and 
present  existence  of  the  nation  compels  the  rec 
ognition  of  brain  power  in  the  Chinese  people 
not  inferior  to  that  of  the  most  advanced  nations 
of  the  human  race.  But  as  a  people  they  are 


CHINESE  CIVILIZATION.  2$ 

eminently  conservative.  What  was  good  enough 
for  their  ancestors  is  good  enough  for  them. 
The  same  school  books, — the  writings  of  Con 
fucius  and  Mencius, — have  been  used  in  their 
schools  for  many  hundred  years  without  change. 
This  has  stamped  a  common  character  upon 
all  the  people.  Confucius  was  not  a  teacher  of 
science,  nor  yet  of  religion;  but  a  teacher  of 
Political  Economy,  as  applicable  to  the  Patri 
archal  System  of  Government.  His  writings  dis 
cuss,  in  various  ways,  the  relative  duties  between 
parents  and  children,  elder  and  younger  broth 
ers,  husbands  and  wives,  the  magistrates  and  the 
people,  the  emperor  and  the  magistrates.  These 
books  are  studied  and  memorized  by  the  schol 
ars  in  all  parts  of  the  Empire,  using  every-where 
the  same  written  or  printed  characters,  but  dif 
ferently  pronounced,  according  to  the  various 
dialects  of  the  different  localities.  So  that  the 
scholars  of  one  section  of  the  Empire  reading 
aloud  a  manuscript  copy  of  some  of  the  writ 
ings  of  Confucius  would  not  be  understood  bv 

o  s 

the  scholars  of  some  other  section  of  the  Empire, 
who  might  perhaps  be  listening  to  the  reading  of 
a  manuscript  prepared  by  themselves. 

Then,  again,  this  written  language,  common 
in  all  parts  of  the  Empire,  is  not  a  spoken  lan 
guage  in  any  part  of  the  country,  except  it  be 


26  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

in  the  form  of  quotations,  and  the  quotations 
when  used  often  need  explanation  in  the  local 
dialect  in  order  to  be  clearly  understood.  These 
different  spoken  dialects  are  almost  as  numerous 
as  are  the  great  cities  of  China,  and  differ  al 
most,  if  not  quite  as  widely,  as  do  the  spoken 
languages  of  the  different  nationalities  of  Europe. 

This  difference  in  dialect,  combined  with  other 
causes,  leads  to  a  kind  of  local  clannishness 
among  the  Chinese,  somewhat  similar  to  the  his 
toric  clannishness  of  the  Scotch.  And  although 
in  all  parts  of  the  Empire  the  same  text-books 
are  memorized,  the  same  literature  in  common 
use,  and  the  people  all  subject  to  the  same  gen 
eral  or  central  government,  and  stamped  with 
the  same  general  national  characteristics,  yet  the 
Chinese  of  one  locality  have  but  little  affinity  for, 
or  sympathy  with,  those  of  a  different  locality. 
For  instance,  between  the  Chinese  of  Foo  Chow 
and  the  Chinese  of  Canton  there  exists  about 
the  same  regard  as  exists  between  the  Chinese 
people  in  general  and  the  people  of  the  United 
States. 

As  to  scholarship,  the  average  Chinese  scholar 
knows  little  or  nothing  about  geography,  mathe 
matics,  natural  philosophy,  chemistry,  or  astron 
omy.  His  knowledge  of  history  is  confined  to  a 
bare  epitome  of  the  history  of  his  own  country 


CHINESE  CIVILIZATION.  27 

and  people.  He  knows  no  language  except  his 
own,  and  yet  he  is  no  mere  novice.  His  memory 
is  truly  wonderful.  His  knowledge  of  the  rela 
tions  and  duties  between  man  and  man,  between 
the  people  and  the  rulers,  is  indeed  remarkable; 
and  in  diplomacy  the  Chinese  have  few  equals. 

Schools  abound  in  China,  and  because  schools 
abound,  it  is  generally  believed,  in  this  country, 
that  all  Chinamen  can  read  and  write  their  own 
language.  But  this  is  a  mistake.  Probably  not 
one-fifth  of  the  population  have  what  may  be 
called  a  common-school  education.  The  masses 
of  the  people  know  the  written  characters  repre 
senting  the  common  articles  of  food  and  cloth 
ing,  without  being  able  to  read  a  single  page  of 
literature.  In  a  country  so  overburdened  with 
population,  it  is  simply  impossible  for  the  masses 
to  be  educated. 

In  the  arts  pertaining  to  a  high  civilization 
the  Chinese  have  made  no  progress  for  many 
centuries.  Originally,  the  manufacturing  of  gun 
powder  and  glass,  the  art  of  printing  and  the  use 
of  the  compass  belonged  to  China;  but  no  im 
provements  have  been  made  upon  the  original  in 
ventions,  and  for  many  hundred  years  no  new  in 
ventions  have  appeared  in  China.  In  science, 
government,  and  religion,  every  thing  is  stereo 
typed,  every  thing  runs  in  the  same  old  rut. 


28  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Change  or  improvement  in  any  thing  that  was 
acceptable  to  their  ancestors  is  not  desired. 

The  religion  of  the  educated  may  be  formu 
lated  as  blind  fatality ;  the  religion  of  the  masses  a 
heartless,  superstitious  idolatry.  Of  course,  their 
civilization  is  low,  for  it  is  an  axiom  that  no  people 
can  rise  above  the  plane  of  the  gods  they  worship. 

The  Chinese  truly  verify  the  Scripture  state 
ment  that  in  this  world  ' '  there  be  that  are  called 
gods  many  and  lords  many."  The  whole  land 
is  full  of  idols,  and  all  the  people  are  filled  with 
idolatrous  superstitions.  The  whole  civilization 
of  China  has  stood  still  for  ages,  and  has  become 
like  one  great  stagnant  pool.  To  purify  it,  it 
needs  to  be  moved  and  stirred  from  center  to 
circumference  by  contact  and  friction  with  the 
Christian  civilization  of  America  and  Europe. 
The  few  thousands  of  European  and  American 
merchants  and  missionaries  now  in  China,  and 
the  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  Chinese  now 
in  America,  are  but  the  beginnings  of  mighty 
changes  about  to  take  place  in  the  history  of 
that  wonderfully  strange  people. 

Occupying  one  of  the  grandest  domains  in  the 
world;  enjoying  a  healthy  climate,  having  in 
abundance  all  products  and  minerals  of  earth; 
not  only  satisfied  with,  but  exceedingly  proud 
of,  their  civilization,  their  literature,  and  their 


CHINESE  CIVILIZATION.  29 

religion,  the  Chinese  long  ago  adopted  an  exclu 
sive  policy. 

They  have  always  discouraged  emigration  from 
their  own  shores,  and  have  been  constantly  and 
bitterly  opposed  to  every  attempt  by  outside  na 
tions  to  settle  among  them.  Even  in  these,  our 
days,  the  Chinese  have  entered  into  friendly  re 
lations  with  other  nations  simply  because  they 
have  been  compelled  to  do  so.  The  term, 
"  Chinese  walls  of  exclusion,"  has  become  a 
sort  of  proverbial  phrase,  well  understood  by  all 
classes  of  people. 

Living  thus  by  themselves,  with  little  or  no 
contact  or  friction  with  the  customs,  the  language, 
civil  polity,  or  religion  prevailing  among  other 
nations,  the  Chinese  people  seem  generally  to  be 
filled  with  the  strange  conceit  that  they  are  supe 
rior  to  all  other  nations  of  the  earth. 

This  conceit  is  so  strong,  and  their  prejudice 
against  all  other  people  so  bitter,  that,  unless 
under  some  restraint  of  circumstances,  they  sel 
dom  fail  to  manifest  contempt  for  any  and  all 
people  except  their  own ;  for  any  and  all  cus 
toms  differing  from  their  own,  and  for  any  and 
all  learning  or  science  or  invention  or  art  differing 
from  the  established  order  of  affairs  in  their  own 
"Middle  Kingdom."  However  foolish  and  ab 
surd  this  conceit  may  appear  to  us,  it  is  not  so 


3<D  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

very  strange  after  all  that  the  Chinese  are  filled 
with  it.  For  centuries,  the  civilization  of  the 
Chinese  has  been  in  advance  of  the  nations  and 
peoples  of  Asia,  immediately  adjacent  to  them, 
and  with  whom  alone  they  have  had  intercourse. 
With  a  people  more  numerous,  a  government 
more  powerful,  and  a  history  of  greater  antiquity, 
a  literatrue  more  extensive  and  refined,  a  better 
system  of  philosophy,  and  a  purer  standard  of 
morals,  a  general  civilization,  in  fact,  quite  in  ad 
vance  of  all  the  peoples  with  which  they  had  as 
yet  come  in  contact,  it  is  not  so  very  strange, 
after  all,  that  Christian  civilization  has  found 
the  Chinese  thinking  of  themselves  as  standing 
at  the  head  of  the  human  race.  They  have 
schools  and  colleges.  They  understand  political 
economy.  They  have  an  immense  coast  and 
inland  commerce.  They  understand  agricultural 
pursuits  equal  to  any  people  in  the  world.  They 
build  houses  and  temples,  and  immense  stone 
bridges.  They  have  a  great  navigable  canal  sys 
tem  reaching  through  almost  the  entire  length 
of  the  country.  They  make  silks,  satins,  and 
cotton  cloth.  They  are  elaborate  carvers  of  ivory 
and  wood.  They  make  beautiful  bronze  castings 
and  exquisite  China  ware.  They  are  industrious 
and  frugal  to  the  last  degree. 

The   Confucian   system    of   morals,    which    in 


CHINESE  CIVILIZATION.  3! 

theory  is  accepted  by  the  whole  nation,  is  com 
paratively  pure  and  elevating;  but  the  debasing 
influences  of  idolatry  lower  the  standard  in  prac 
tice,  and  the  mass  of  the  people  are  untruthful, 
selfish  and  cruel.  In  business  transactions,  how 
ever,  the  commercial  honesty  of  the  Chinese  is 
equal  to  that  of  the  nations  with  whom  they 
trade.  Indeed,  without  commercial  honesty  and 
confidence  no  great  commercial  transactions 
could  take  place,  and  the  Chinese  are  great  trad 
ers.  It  is  the  testimony  of  the  American  mer 
chants  in  China,  and  of  bankers  and  importers 
of  San  Francisco,  that  Chinese  merchants  will 
not  suffer  by  a  comparison  of  their  commercial 
honesty  with  the  commercial  honesty  of  any  other 
people  in  the  world. 

The  marriage  relation  is  recognized  and  hon 
ored  in  China.  Polygamy  is  allowable,  though 
not  very  generally  practiced.  A  man  who  is 
able  to  do  so  will  sometimes  marry  a  second 
wife,  because  he  desires  a  son  and  heir  and  has 
no  male  issue  by  his  first  wife.  Merchants  do 
ing  business  in  different  parts  of  the  country 
usually  leave  their  families  at  home,  at  the  patri 
archal  residence,  and  often  take  a  secondary  wife 
or  concubine  at  the  place  of  their  temporary  res 
idence.  In  such  cases,  the  children,  if  any  are 
born  to  them,  are  considered  legitimate  and  are 


32  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

treated  as  such.  These  secondary  wives  or  con 
cubines  seem  to  sustain  very  much  the  same  re 
lation  to  the  first  wife  that  Hagar  sustained  to 
Sarah  in  Abraham's  household. 

With  them  marriage  is  rather  a  civil  contract 
than  a  religious  rite  or  ceremony.  No  public 
register  is  kept,  no  official  certificate  of  marriage 
given.  No  legalized  civilian  nor  ordained  priest 
of  religion  is  necessary  to  the  performance  or 
consummation  of  the  contract.  The  parties 
pledge  each  other  in  small  cups  of  wine,  and 
perform  together  a  whole  rit-ual  of  prostrations 
before  the  open  heavens,  and  also  before  the 
family  penates.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  form 
and  ceremony  according  to  the  rank  of  the  par 
ties,  but  the  prostrations  and  mutual  pledgings 
seem  to  be  the  principal  parts.  In  taking  a  sec 
ondary  wife  or  concubine,  forms  and  ceremonies 
may  be  omitted;  the  secondary  wife  taking  her 
place  in  the  family  with  as  little  ceremony  as  a 
hired  servant  would  in  America. 

Under  certain  circumstances  divorces  are  al 
lowable,  and  men  may  even  put  away  their 
wives  for  certain  trivial  causes  ;  for  instance,  one 
of  the  seven  sufficient  causes  justifying  divorce 
is,  "a  persistent  habit  of  loquacity  on  the  part 
of  the  lady."  But  divorces  are  not  frequent, 
and  if  a  man  marries  when  poor,  and  afterward 


CHINESE  CIVILIZATION.  33 

becomes  rich,  he  may  not  for  any  cause  put 
away  the  wife  who  shared  his  years  of  poverty. 
It  is  not  considered  respectable  for  a  widow  to 
marry  again,  and  if  a  young  girl  loses  her  be 
trothed  before  marriage,  it  is  considered  highly 
meritorious  in  her  to  remain  unmarried  all  her 
life.  The  people  sometimes  erect  testimonials 
of  respect  to  such  persons.  Sometimes  a  young 
lady,  bereaved  of  her  betrothed  husband  before 
the  consummation  of  marriage,  publicly  commits 
suicide  in  order  to  make  her  widowhood  per 
petual  and  to  remove  herself  beyond  the  tempta 
tion  to  marry  another.  One  such  instance  oc 
curred  at  Foo  Chow  during  my  residence  there. 
The  relatives  and  friends  of  both  parties  knew 
all  about  her  intentions,  and  assisted  her  in  mak 
ing  preparations.  Her  intention,  as  well  as  the 
place  and  day  of  executing  it,  were  designated 
in  invitation  cards,  sent  to  the  magistrates  and 
to  persons  of  distinction,  and  to  all  the  friends 
and  acquaintances  of  the  interested  families. 
Every  one  joined  in  aiding  or  encouraging  her, 
it  being  generally  considered  that  she  was  about 
to  perform  a  very  meritorious  act.  The  British 
Consul  at  the  port,  Mr.  W.  H.  Medhurst,  re 
monstrated  with  the  mandarins  for  allowing 
such  a  thing  to  take  place, — but  they  professed 
to  fear  a  popular  demonstration  or  mob  if  they 
3 


34  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

should  interfere  to  prevent  it.  Very  likely  they 
had  encouraged  it.  A  day  or  two  previous  to 
her  self-immolation,  she  was  dressed  in  gaudy 
robes,  and  was  carried  about  in  state  through  the 
principal  streets  of  the  city,  after  the  fashion  of 
parading  idols.  A  temporary  stage  or  scaffolding 
was  erected  in  the  open  fields,  and  on  the  day 
appointed  thousands  of  people  assembled  to  wit 
ness  the  sacrifice.  From  a  frame  on  the  plat 
form  a  strip  of  scarlet  crape  was  suspended,  and 
a  chair  was  placed  under  the  frame.  The  little 
woman  was  assisted  to  mount  the  platform.  She 
herself  adjusted  the  suspended  crape  around  her 
neck,  embraced  a  little  boy, — her  brother, — 
bowed  a  farewell  to  the  crowd,  smiling  all  the 
while;  then  mounted  the  platform  and  reso 
lutely  jumped  off,  her  little  hands  still  saluting 
the  crowd  as  her  quivering  body  was  twirled 
around  by  the  tightening  cord.  Although  this 
took  place  within  a  mile  of  my  residence,  I  did 
not  have  the  courage  to  witness  it ;  I  could  not 
bear  to  be  present,  and  thus  seem  to  countenance 
such  a  wicked  thing.  The  very  thought  of  such 
an  affair  taking  place  was  sickening  in  the  ex 
treme. 

The  faithfulness  of  married  women  in  China 
to  their  husbands  will  compare  favorably  with  the 
practice  of  the  same  virtue  by  the  women  of  Eu- 


CHINESE   CIVILIZATION.  35 

rope  and  America.  Husbands  are  not  generally 
as  chaste  as  the  wives.  Female  prostitution  ex 
ists  in  all  parts  of  the  empire,  and  is  especially 
prevalent  in  large  cities  and  all  seaport  towns. 
This  class  of  women  is  usually  confined  to  some 
particular  quarter  of  the  city,  or  to  the  boat 
population. 

Poor  people  often  sell  their  female  infants  to 
this  class  of  panderers  to  human  depravity,  and 
the  poor  girls  are  brought  up  in  perpetual  bond 
age  to  the  wills  of  their  villainous  masters. 

Infanticide  of  female  children  is  practiced  in 
all  parts  of  the  empire, — in  some  sections  to  an 
alarming  extent.  Proclamations  are  sometimes 
issued  by  the  magistrates,  warning  the  people 
against  committing  the  crime  of  infanticide,  not 
only  because  it  is  a  crime,  but  also  because  girls 
are  becoming  so  scarce  and  expensive,  that  the 
common  people  can  not  afford  to  marry,  and 
public  morals  are  endangered.  There  is  no  in 
fanticide  of  boys,  and  neither  is  there  any  sys 
tem  of  slavery  in  China  as  regards  the  male  sex. 

The  people  of  China  are  noted  for  their  in 
dustry  and  frugality.  Every  man  has  something 
to  do.  The  streets  of  the  cities  and  villages  are 
full  of  people ;  but  all  these  comers  and  go 
ers  are  intent  on  some  business.  Few  people 
walk  the  streets  for  the  exercise,  or  to  see  the 


36  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

sights.  And  yet  the  streets  of  Chinese  cities 
usually  present  a  picture  of  universal  industry 
almost  without  a  parallel.  There  are  no  railroads, 
no  horse-cars,  no  stage-coaches.  All  land  trans 
portation,  especially  in  Central  and  Southern 
China,  is  done  by  the  bone  and  muscle  of  human 
beings.  Merchandise,  house-furniture,  and  build 
ing  material  are  all  packed  on  men's  shoulders. 
Travelers  who  are  able  to  pay,  and  feeble  ones 
unable  to  walk,  are  carried  about  in  sedan-chairs 
on  the  shoulders  of  men.  A  little  boy,  son  of  a 
missionary  about  to  leave  China  for  America, 
began  to  cry,  and  begged  to  be  left  in  China, 
when  he  learned  that  there  were  no  chair-bearers 
in  America.  These  chair-bearers  and  burden- 
carriers  have  stands  in  different  parts  of  the  city, 
to  which  a  person  can  send  for  a  conveyance, 
just  as  we  Americans  patronize  expressmen  and 
livery-stables. 

In  his  habits  of  living  the  ordinary  Chinaman 
is  exceedingly  economical  and  frugal.  Through 
out  Central  and  Southern  China  rice  is  the  prin 
cipal  staple  of  food.  Rice  and  vegetables,  fish, 
pork,  and  fowls,  compose  the  principal  diet 
of  the  people.  The  cost  of  living  is  small  as 
compared  with  the  cost  of  living  of  the  average 
American.  The  average  Chinaman,  in  his  own 
country,  can  live  nicely  in  most  parts  of  the 


CHINESE  CIVILIZATION.  37 

empire  on  from  seven  to  fifteen  cents  a  day. 
That  will  give  him  all  the  rice  and  vegetables  he 
can  eat,  with  a  small  allowance  for  fish  or  meat 
daily.  Chinamen  know  how  to  cook  rice  better 
than  most  people.  The  price  of  labor  corre 
sponds  to  the  cheapness  of  living.  Fifteen  or 
twenty  cents  a  day  is  very  good  pay  for  a  com 
mon  laborer.  Literary  men  of  good  ability  can 
afford  to  teach  for  salaries  from  six  to  ten  dollars 
a  month,  and  board  themselves.  House  serv 
ants,  among  the  Chinese,  receive  from  two  to 
four  dollars  a  month  and  found.  Serving  in 
white  families  in  China,  in  the  open  ports,  Hong 
Kong,  Canton,  Amoy,  Foo  Chow,  and  Shang 
hai,  they  receive  from  three  to  ten  dollars  a 
month  according  to  the  ability  of  the  employer 
to  pay,  and  the  servant  to  please.  Mechanics 
and  stone-masons  receive  from  twenty  to  forty 
cents  a  day,.  The  cost  of  living  in  China  and 
the  price  of  labor  is  about  the  same  as  in  many 
parts  of  Europe,  but  is  from  three  to  five  times 
less  than  in  most  parts  of  the  United  States. 

The  currency  of  the  country  is  adapted  to  this 
cheap  rate  of  living,  and  low  price  of  labor. 
The  currency  used  in  all  parts  of  the  empire  is 
a  brass  "cash,"  about  the  size  of  a  twenty-cent 
piece,  quite  thin,  with  a  square  hole  through  the 
center.  These  are  strung  together  in  hundreds, 


38  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

and  the  hundreds  tied  in  pairs,  or  links  like  a 
log-chain,  and  sold  in  packages  of  four  hundred, 
six  hundred,  eight  hundred,  or  one  thousand 
cash.  A  Mexican  silver  dollar  is  worth  about 
one  thousand  brass  cash,  so  that  a  single  brass 
cash  is  about  the  value  of  one  mill  of  our  money. 
This  is  the  common  currency  in  retail  transac 
tions  of  every  day  life  in  all  parts  of  the  em 
pire.  Mexican  dollars  and  American  trade  dol 
lars  are  also  in  circulation,  but  before  they  have 
been  long  in  circulation,  they  become  what  is 
known  in  China  as  "  chop-dollars."  With  a  cold 
chisel  each  banker  punches  his  name  or  stamp 
on  the  face  of  every  dollar  he  handles  ;  and  the 
process,  often  repeated,  soon  spoils  the  face  of 
the  poor  dollar,  covers  it  with  Chinese  letters 
till  not  a  letter  of  the  original  superscription  can 
be  seen,  lessens  its  weight,  depreciates  its  value, 
and  retires  it  from  the  retail  market.  The  banks, 
in  changing  brass  cash  for  silver  dollars,  always 
take  the  dollars  by  weight,  not  by  count.  They 
are  exceedingly  expert  in  detecting  counterfeit 
coin.  In  large  mercantile  transactions,  payments 
are  made  in  sycee  ;  that  is,  in  bars,  lumps,  or 
masses  of  silver  by  weight,  bearing  the  stamp 
of  the  house  issuing  it.  There  is  one  custom 
prevailing  among  the  Chinese  in  financial  mat 
ters  which  is  worthy  of  imitation ;  that  is,  a 


CHINESE  CIVILIZATION.  39 

universal  custom  of  squaring  accounts  at  the 
close  of  each  year.  The  rule  is  that  debts  must 
all  be  paid  at  that  time;  if  payment  can  not  be 
made,  mutual  arrangements  are  made  to  con 
tinue  the  account.  The  power  of  this  custom  is 
so  strong  that  it  frequently  produces  fatal  re 
sults.  The  debtor,  unable  to  pay  or  to  make 
satisfactory  arrangements  to  continue  the  ac 
count,  becomes  mortified  and  discouraged,  and 
commits  suicide  as  the  only  means  in  his  power 
of  canceling  his  financial  obligations. 

It  can  not  be  said  that  the  Chinese  generally  ly/ 
in  their  houses  and  personal  habits  of  living  are 
a  neat  and  clean  people.  They  seem  to  us  very 
careless,  even  filthy  in  some  of  their  habits,  and 
quite  squeamish  and  particular  in  others.  A 
Chinaman's  stomach  turns  at  the  sight  and  smell 
of  strong  cheese  ;  but  he  regards  fish  in  advanced 
stages  of  decay  with  much  less  disfavor.  They 
bathe  their  persons  often  in  warm  weather.  It 
is  a  very  common  custom  among  all  classes  in 
the  Summer  time,  at  the  close  of  each  day's  work, 
to  take  a  sponge  bath  from  a  little  bucket  of 
warm  water.  They  do  not  believe  in  cold  baths 
under  any  circumstances.  "  Cold  Water  Cures  " 
have  no  advocates  or  patrons  among  the  Chinese. 
Their  clothing  also,  especially  in  warm  weather, 
is  frequently  washed  and  kept  comparatively 


40  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

clean.  But  on  the  other  hand  the  water-carrier 
might  not  think  it  out  of  place  to  wash  his  feet 
in  the  water-bucket,  and  after  a  good  rinsing 
bring  water  in  the  same  bucket  for  you  to  drink. 
While  living  in  Foo  Chow,  China,  I  saw  an  in 
stance  of  this  kind.  Our  man  of  all  work  was 
called  from  digging  in  the  garden  to  bring  water 
from  the  well.  Both  my  wife  and  myself  hap 
pened  to  see  the  performance.  He  drew  both 
buckets  full,  coolly  washed  his  feet  and  legs  in 
one  bucket,  then  emptied  out  the  water  and 
rinsed  the  bucket  with  water  from  the  other. 
This  done,  he  again  filled  both  buckets  and 
brought  the  water  to  the  house  for  family  use.  On 
being  remonstrated  with  for  his  dirty  trick,  he  re 
spectfully  suggested  that  our  objections  to  the  per 
formance  were  not  founded  upon  good  and  reason 
able  grounds.  He  was  sorry  he  had  offended  us, 
but  maintained  that  the  water  in  the  well  came  out 
of  and  through  the  ground,  and  that  his  feet  and 
legs  were  covered  with  the  same  kind  of  dust 
and  soil  as  the  sides  and  surface  of  the  well,  and 
therefore  there  could  not  be  any  thing  really 
dirty  about  it,  and,  as  to  the  dust  and  soil  get 
ting  into  the  water-bucket,  he  had  been  very 
careful  to  rinse  the  bucket  clean,  and  had  brought 
clear,  pure  water  to  the  house.  However,  he 
would  scrub  the  bucket  and  do  better  next  time. 


CHINESE   CIVILIZATION.  41 

But  no  ;  wife  would  never  use  any  water  out  of 
that  bucket  again.  So  some  new  ones  were 
bought,  doubtless  greatly  to  the  amusement  of 
the  philosophic  water-carrier.  A  Chinaman  will 
often  scrub  his  teeth  and  rinse  his  mouth  in 
the  same  dish  and  same  water  in  which  he  has 
just  washed  his  face,  and  they  generally  have 
clean  teeth.  The  Chinese  dish-washer  might  not 
think  it  amiss  to  wipe  his  face  and  your  dinner 
plate  with  the  same  cloth.  But  then,  who  has 
not  heard  of  that  same  class  among  white  peo 
ple  doing  just  these  same  or  worse  things  ?  In 
the  cold  weather  the  Chinese  do  not  bathe  their 
persons  so  frequently,  nor  wash  their  clothing  so 
often,  and  the  consequence  is  that  they  become 
exceedingly  filthy,  and  the  clothing  and  persons 
of  the  common  people  often  become  alive  with 
vermin.  It  is  an  exceedingly  disgusting  but  not 
an  uncommon  sight,  in  China,  to  see  some  chair- 
bearer  or  other  common  laborer  employing  his 
leisure  moments  in  biting  with  his  teeth  the 
scams  of  his  clothing,  in  a  wholesale  slaughter 

o  *  o 

of  vermin,  the  offspring  of  his  own  filth.  But 
the  same  thing  is  done  in  Rome  and  in  Cork. 
The  Chinese  are  not  the  only  filthy  people  in 
the  world.  A  man  who  employs  a  gang  of  white 
men  and  a  gang  of  Chinamen  in  the  mines  of 
California  told  me  this  day  that  the  Chinese  were 


42  THE  CHINESE    IN  AMERICA. 

more  cleanly  in  their  camps  and  in  their  persons 
than  the  whites. 

Just  as  drunkenness  is  the  curse  and  bane  of 
American  society,  just  so  opium  smoking  is  the 
curse  and  bane  of  the  Chinese  people.  Just  as 
depraved,  unprincipled  white  men  will  open 
groggeries  and  drinking  saloons,  in  order  to  en 
rich  themselves  by  the  certain  ruin  of  their 
neighbors,  just  so  depraved,  unprincipled  China 
men,  in  order  to  enrich  themselves,  will  open 
dens  for  the  certain  ruin  of  their  neighbors  by 
the  consumption  of  opium.  Just  as  white  peo 
ple  know  that  the  consumption  of  intoxicating 
liquors  leads  to  poverty,  crime,  and  misery,  just 
so  the  Chinese  know  that  the  consumption  of 
opium  leads  to  the  certain  ruin  of  their  people. 
Just  as  Christian  governments  are  lavish  in  the 
expenditure  of  money  in  erecting  jails,  prisons, 
and  hospitals,  and  in  sustaining  courts  for  the 
punishment  of  the  pitiful  victims  of  the  liquor 
traffic  without  ever  making  a  single  effort  to  re 
move  the  accursed  cause,  just  so  the  Chinese 
Government  handles  the  opium  curse.  The  use 
of  opium  ruins  about  the  same  proportion  of  the 
Chinese  people  that  the  use  of  liquor  ruins  of 
our  own  people.  Opium  produces  less  of  crirrie 
than  liquor,  but  not  much  less  of  poverty,  dis 
grace,  and  ruin. 


CHINESE  CIVILIZATION.  43 

Mr.  W.  H.  Seward,  in  his  "Voyage  Round 
the  World,"  thus  sums  up  the  civilization  of 
China:  "The  Chinese  though  not  of  the  Cau 
casian  race  have  all  its  moral  and  social  adapta 
bilities.  Long  ago  they  reached  a  higher  plane 
of  civilization  than  most  European  nations  at 
tained  until  a  much  later  period.  The  Western 
nations  have  since  risen  above  this  plane,  the 
Chinese  have  made  no  advancement. 
Although  China  is  far  from  being  a  barbarous 
state,  yet  every  system  and  institution  there  is 
inferior  to  the  corresponding  one  in  the  West. 
Whether  it  be  the  abstract  sciences,  such  as  phi 
losophy  and  psychology,  or  whether  it  be  the 
practical  forms  of  natural  science,  astronomy,  ge 
ology,  geography,  natural  history,  and  chemistry ; 
or  the  concrete  ideas  of  government  and  laws, 
morals  and  manners,  whether  it  be  the  aesthetic 
arts  or  mechanics;  every  thing  in  China  is  effete. 
Chinese  education  rejects  science.  Chinese  in 
dustries  proscribe  invention.  Chinese  morals  ap 
peal  not  to  conscience  but  to  convenience.  Chi 
nese  architecture  and  navigation  eschew  all  im 
provements.  Chinese  religion  is  materialistic, 
not  even  mystic,  much  less  spiritual.  If  we  ask 
how  this  inferiority  has  come  about  among  a  peo 
ple  who  have  achieved  so  much  in  the  past,  and 
have  such  capacities  for  greater  achievements  in 


44  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

the  future,  we  must  conclude  that,  owing  to  some 
error  in  their  social  system,  the  faculty  of  inven 
tion  has  been  arrested  in  its  exercise  and  im 
paired."  • 

This  I  believe  to  be  a  clear  and  correct  state 
ment  of  the  facts  concerning  the  civilization  of 
China ;  but  not  so  correct  nor  clear  a  conclusion 
as  to  the  causes  which  have  produced  the  gen 
eral  stagnation  which  exists,  as  might  be  given. 
The  prime  cause  is  not  to  be  found  in  "some 
error  in  their  ancient  social  system,"  but  in  their 
false  religion,  the  universal  prevalence  of  a  debasing 
idolatry.  The  minds  of  a  people  constantly  given 
to  the  study  and  practice  of  the  endless  cere 
monies  and  ritual  of  innumerable  gods  made 
with  men's  hands  will  never  be  interested  in  the 
study  of  nature  or  nature's  God. 

"No  people  can  rise  above  the  plane  of  the  gods 
they  ivors/np."  The  Chinese  civilization  long  ago 
rose  to  the  level  of  their  gods,  and  can  never  rise 
higher  till  their  dumb  idols  shall  be  discarded,  and 
the  God  of  heaven  be  recognized  in  the  thought 
of  the  people  as  the  only  wise  and  true  God. 

We  have  now  150,000  of  this  people  among 
us,  very  few  of  whom  are  women  and  children. 
The  larger  part  are  of  the  ignorant  but  indus 
trious  masses.  We  will  now  look  at  them  in 
this  country. 


ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA.  45 


CHAPTER  III. 

IN  AMERICA, FROM  THE  STEAMER  TO  CHINATOWN, 

SAN  FRANCISCO. 

THE  arrival  in  San  Francisco  of  a  Pacific 
mail  steamship  from  China  presents  one  of 
the  most  novel  sights  seen  in  America.  As  the 
steamer  comes  in  through  the  Golden  Gate  and 
steams  up  the  bay  to  the  wharf  of  the  P.  M.  S. 
S.  Co.,  the  Chinese  passengers,  who  have  spent 
their  time  for  the  most  part  during  the  passage, 
dozing  in  their  narrow  cots,  now  begin  to  swarm 
about  like  bees  in  May.  They  have  a  great  time 
over  their  wardrobe,  the  most  of  which  they  take 
ashore  on  their  backs,  putting  on  one  suit  above 
the  other,  the  new  and  clean  ones  generally  out 
side.  In  this  way  the  new-comer  often  looks 
cleaner  than  he  really  is.  It  is  amusing  to  see 
the  piles  of  clothing  which  some  of  these  fellows 
will  bring  ashore  on  their  backs. 

This  getting  ready  to  go  ashore  makes  quite 
a  busy  time  in  that  part  of  the  ship  occupied 
by  Chinamen,  especially  where  there  is  a  large 
number  of  Chinese  passengers.  A  thousand 


46  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

men,  each  with  his  personal  baggage,  huddled  to 
gether,  in  a  space  not  large  enough  to  make  five 
hundred  persons  comfortable ;  all  getting  ready  in 
excitement  and  hurry  to  go  ashore,  in  a  new  and 
strange  country ;  washing  and  combing,  talking 
and  laughing,  looking  and  wondering,  scolding 
and  quarreling,  pushing  and  crowding;  conceal 
ing  opium  in  one  part  of  their  clothing,  and  silk 
handkerchiefs  in  another;  determined  to  run  a 
chance  of  losing  all  in  hope  of  gaining  a  little — 
all  this  presents  a  scene  quite  unique,  and  not 
soon  to  be  forgotten  by  those  who  have  once  wit 
nessed  it. 

When  the  steamer  reaches  the  wharf,  the  Eu 
ropean  and  American  passengers  debark  first. 
After  a  few  preliminaries,  begins  the  swarming  on 
shore  of  the  Chinese  passengers.  They  pour  out 
in  crowds  like  people  from  a  theater  or  church. 
Each  man  comes  down  the  plank  with  his  body 
thickly  wadded  in  clothing,  and  bringing  his  bun 
dle  and  blankets  with  him.  Relays  of  custom 
house  officials  are  on  hand  to  examine  the  men 
and  their  baggage.  The  Chinamen  are  ordered  to 
throw  down  their  baggage,  and  the  Custom-house 
men  go  through  with  it  without  much  ceremony. 
On  the  one  hand,  it  is  marvelous  to  what  tricks 
the  Chinamen  will  resort  in  efforts  to  smuggle 
through  a  little  opium  or  silk  goods  or  curiosities 


ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA.  47 

of  some  kind.  They  tuck  these  things  away  in 
the  toes  of  their  shoes,  between  the  soles  of  their 
shoes,  in  the  seams  and  folds  of  their  clothing, 
in  their  hats  and  caps,  in  their  blankets,  and  in 
every  possible,  conceivable  place. 

Long  acquaintance  with  these  tricks  makes 
these  Custom-house  officials  quite  expert,  and  at 
the  present  time  the  ordinary  Chinese  smuggler 
stands  a  small  chance  of  escaping  detection. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  these  officials  are  not 
only  expert  in  detecting  smuggled  goods,  they 
arc  also  singularly  careless  in  handling  the  per 
sonal  effects  of  these  poor  fellows ;  and  often 
wantonly  destroy  or  (according  to  Chinese  au 
thority)  unlawfully  appropriate  to  their  own  ben 
efit  many  little  articles  of  personal  baggage  not 
subject  to  duty.  And  it  is  strongly  hinted,  by 
those  who  ought  to  know  something  about  it, 
that  some  of  those  Custom-house  collectors  are 
open  to  an  arrangement  with  John  Chinaman 
for  a  division  of  the  profits,  in  which  case,  the 
officer  although  apparently  practicing  unusual 
diligence,  is  quite  unable  to  detect  any  thing 
contraband. 

The  San  Francisco  press  has  more  than  once 
intimated  the  existence  of  an  organized  system 
of  opium  smuggling  in  connection  with  the  Chi 
nese  trade,  for  which  the  Chinese  are  not  alone 


48  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

responsible.  Some  three  or  four  years  ago  an 
honest  and  efficient  officer  came  near  losing  his 
life,  because  of  his  efforts  to  expose  this  ring. 
He  has  since  been  superseded  in  his  office,  with 
out  doubt  through  the  political  influence  of  this 
ring  of  smugglers. 

''It  has  long  been  suspected  at  the  Custom 
house  that  a  considerable  amount  of  smuggling 
is  successfully  carried  on  by  the  employes  and 
crews  of  the  China  steamers ;  the  officials  on  the 
wharf  were  instructed  to  look  into  the  matter. 
As  a  consequence,  a  number  of  Chinamen  have 
been  detected  in  smuggling  opium  from  the  city 
of  Peking  in  the  soles  of  their  shoes.  This  is 
only  one  of  the  various  methods  employed  to 
get  the  drug  ashore  without  paying  duty.  As 
only  about  six  ounces  can  be  concealed  in  a  shoe, 
the  quantity  thus  smuggled  can  not  be  very 
great.  Smuggled  goods  have  been  discovered  in 
the  coal-piles  and  steam-pipes  of  the  engine-room, 
in  small  quantities;  but  it  is  alleged  that  large 
packages  are  taken  ashore  without  any  trouble. 
The  officers  arc  so  exceedingly  sharp  in  detect 
ing  "crooked  "  shoes  and  guilty-looking  Chinese 
laborers,  that  they  have  no  time  to  look  after 
large  boxes,  bales  and  such  unimportant  articles 
of  merchandise."  (San  Francisco  Chronicle,  June 
22,  1876.) 


ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA.  49 

The  personal  'examination  of  each  Chinaman 
as  he  leaves  the  steamer  is  decidedly  a  unique 
performance.  The  officer  stops  him,  makes  him 
hold  up  his  hands,  and  then  manipulates  him 
from  head  to  foot,  fumbling  over  all  the  nooks 
and  corners  of  the  ample  folds  of  the  sleeves  and 
legs  of  his  clothing.  The  Chinaman  seems  to 
consider  the  process  as  a  part  of  our  peculiar 
civilization,  and  quietly  submits  to  the  perform 
ance.  Sometimes  a  flash  of  the  eye  and  a  burn 
ing  face  tells  that  the  process  is  distasteful  even 
to  the  Chinaman,  but  no  resistance  is  ever  of 
fered. 

Of  course,  it  is  very  wicked  and  naughty  of 
these  Chinese  to  undertake  to  cheat  this  Christian 
Government  by  smuggling.  But  is  it  any  worse 
for  the  Chinese  to  smuggle  merchandise  into  this 
country  than  it  is  for  Americans  to  smuggle  mer 
chandise  into  China?  If  our  own  people  would 
only  practice  the  virtue  of  strict  honesty  which  we 
profess  to  teach,  there  might  be  much  less  diffi 
culty  in  managing  the  Chinese.  But  when  they 
find  that  here,  as  in  their  own  country,  are  govern 
ment  officers  who  stand  ready  to  sell  themselves 
to  the  highest  bidder  they  begin  to  doubt  the  ex 
istence  of  the  superior  virtue  of  which  we  boast. 

At  last,  the  Custom-house  officers  have  fin 
ished  manipulating  the  men,  and  have  gone 


5O  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

through  the  baggage ;  and  now  the  Chinamen 
gather  up  their  scattered  effects,  and  under  the 
direction  of  friends  who  have  come  to  meet 
them,  or  of  the  agents  of  the  six  companies, 
they  begin  their  journey  from  the  steamer  to  the 
Chinese  Quarter  of  San  Francisco.  They  pile, 
pell-mell,  into  the  express  wagons  provided  for 
them,  or  filling  the  wagons  with  their  baggage, 
they  themselves  run  along  behind  and  beside  it, 
closing  up  as  near  the  wagon  as  possible,  watching 
anxiously  lest  the  driver  should  prove  to  be  a  ras 
cal,  and  run  away  with  all  their  precious  effects. 
Often,  and  perhaps  generally,  they  get  through 
the  city  without  much  serious  annoyance;  but  the 
roughs,  or  hoodlums,  as  they  are  called  in  San 
Francisco,  have  frequent  outbursts  of  active  hos 
tilities  against  Chinese  immigration.  At  such 
times  the  passage  of  these  newly  arrived  heathen 
through  the  streets  of  this  Christian  city,  in  these 
United  States  of  America,  in  this,  the  Nineteenth 
Century,  is  like  running  the  gauntlet  among  the 
savages  of  the  wilderness,  a  hundred  years  ago. 
These  Chinamen  with  their  shaven  crown  and 
braided  cue,  their  flowing  sleeves,  their  peculiar 
trousers,  their  discordant  language  and  their  utter 
helplessness,  seem  to  offer  especial  attractions  for 
the  practice  of  those  peculiar  amenities  of  life,  for 
which  the  San  Francisco  hoodlum  is  notorious. 


ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA.  51 

They  follow  the  Chinaman  through  the  streets, 
howling  and  screaming  after  him  to  frighten  him. 
They  catch  hold  of  his  cue,  and  pull  him  from 
the  wagon.  They  throw  brickbats  and  missiles  at 
him,  and  so,  often  these  poor  heathen,  coming 
to  this  Christian  land  under  sacred  treaty  stip 
ulations,  reach  their  quarter  of  this  Christian 
city  covered  with  wounds  and  bruises  and  blood, 
received  at  the  hands^of  parties  whom  the  Chi 
namen  suppose  to  be  fair  representatives  of  this 
boasted  Christian  civilization.  Sometimes  the  po 
lice  have  made  a  show  of  protecting  the  China 
men,  but  too  frequently  the  effort  has  been  a  heart 
less  one,  and  the  hoodlums  have  well  understood 
their  liberties  under  our  sacred  guardians  of  law 
and  order. 

A  few  years  ago  this  abuse  of  the  Chinamen 
was  so  frequent  and  so  disgraceful,  that  our  pri 
vate  citizens  organized  a  ''Chinese  Protective  So 
ciety,"  whose  object  was  to  do  what  the  regular 
police  force  either  could  not  or  would  not  do,  that 
is,  to  secure  the  arrest  and  punishment  of  those 
who  unlawfully  assaulted  the  Chinamen.  This 
Society  operated  about  one  year,  spent  about  six 
thousand  dollars,  and  kept  a  number  of  special 
police  especially  to  protect  these  helpless  stran 
gers.  It  secured  the  arrest  and  punishment  of 
a  large  number  of  villians  who  disgrace  our 


52  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

civilization,  and  it  demonstrated  that  the  regular 
police  force,  at  any  time,  could,  if  it  desired  to 
do  so,  protect  these  Chinamen  from  all  such 
assaults. 

While  truth  compels  me  to  write  that  the 
largest  part  of  this  hostile  opposition,  and  the 
greatest  number  of  these  unlawful  assaults,  have 
always  been  by  the  Irish  Roman  Catholics,  I  am 
glad  that  truth  also,  permits  me  to  say  that  an  es 
teemed  fellow-citizen,  Mr.  Edward  Bosqui,  himself 
a  liberal  French  Roman  Catholic,  was  an  active 
member  and  the  efficient  President  of  the  "  Chi 
nese  Protective  Society."  Truth  also  demands 
that  it  should  be  told  that  the  Chinese  themselves 
did  not  seem  to  appreciate  the  services  of  this 
Society.  They  did  not  subscribe  liberally  to  the 
fund,  giving  only  about  six  hundred  dollars  of  the 
six  thousand  dollars  expended  by  the  Society. 
They  seemed  to  take  the  view  that  the  treaty  ought 
to  protect  them,  and  if  there  was  any  additional 
expense,  it  belonged  to  the  Americans  to  meet  it, 
and  not  to  the  Chinamen. 

But,  at  last  our  ship-load  of  Chinamen  has  got 
up  into  Chinatown.  Here  they  breathe  easier. 
Though  not  so  grand,  nor  so  clean  as  Kearney 
Street,  or  Montgomery  Street,  to  these  newly  ar 
rived  Chinamen,  Dupont  and  Jackson  Streets  seem 
a  very  haven  of  delight.  The  hoodlum's  voice 


ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA.  53 

has  died  away  in  the  distance.  Here  Chinese 
faces  delight  the  vision,  and  Chinese  voices  greet 
the  ear.  The  Chinamen  always  thought  that 
the  people  of  the  "Great  Flowery  Middle  King 
dom  "  were  superior  to  all  the  world  besides, 
and  now  he  is  sure  that  the  civilization  of  China 
is  as  good,  to  say  the  least,  as  the  boasted  civil 
ization  of  these  "Golden  Mountains,"  whose  peo 
ple  mob  their  invited  guests.  His  prejudices 
against  other  nations,  and  his  conceit  in  favor  of 
China,  are  stronger  now  than  ever  before  in  all 
his  life — the  natural  result  of  his  first  contact  with 
a  Christian  civilization  on  its  own  shores. 

Our  Chinamen  are  now  housed  for  the  time 
being  with  their  friends  or  clan,  in  Chinatown, 
waiting  for  something  to  do.  To  save  rent  they 
are  packed  in  very  closely  and  hardly  have  more 
house  room  on  shore  than  on  the  steamer.  "In 
every  nook  and  corner,  from  cellar  to  garret, 
wherever  a  breath  of  air  can  be  coaxed  to  ful 
fill  its  life -sustaining  purposes,  there  you  are 
sure  to  find  lively  and  apparently  healthy 
Mongolians.  Sleeping  where  Americans  would 
smother  for  wanT~~of  fresh~air^  the  Chinaman 
seems  to  thrive.  It  does  not  appear  to  injure 
his  health  at  all.  It  has  come  to  be  a  mat 
ter  of  serious  doubt  whether  any  atmospheric 
conditions  exist  which  a  Chinaman's  lungs  can 


54  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

not  readily  convert  into  a  vitalizing  principle. 
It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  in  an  apart 
ment  fifteen  feet  square  three  or  four  branches 
of  business  carried  on,  employing  in  all,  at  least, 
a  dozen  men.  In  apartments  where  the  ceiling  is 
high,  a  sort  of  entresol  story  is  fitted  up,  and 
here  a  dozen  are  to  be  seen  engaged  in  various 
avocations,  eating  and  sleeping  upon  and  beneath 
their  work  benches  or  tables."  Many  of  these 
people  sleep  in  dark  apartments  in  underground 
cellars,  where  scarcely  a  single  ray  of  light  or 
breath  of  pure,  fresh  air  ever  penetrates.  These 
rooms  arc  filled  with  bunks  like  the  rooms  for 
passengers  on  ships  and  steamers,  and  by  the 
dim,  flickering  light  of  a  little  oil  lamp  the  poor 
wretches  who  clen  there  crawl  into  their  misera 
ble  couches. 

Under  such  circumstances,  great  order  and 
neatness  is  simply  an  impossibility.  These  ten 
ement  and  lodging  houses  are  generally  filthy 
and  disgusting  places.  It  is  a  marvel  and  a  won 
der  though,  that  a  Chinaman  can  come  out  of 
such  a  place  looking  so  clean  and  tidy  as  he  often 
does.  And  though  able  to  enjoy  confined  air  at 
night,  no  people  are  more  particular  and  care 
ful  to  have  plenty  of  pure,  fresh  air  through 
the  day. 

But  what  can  these  men  find   to   do   in   this 


ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA.  55 

country?  This  is  the  important  question  to  them 
now.  As  has  been  already  stated  the  great  ma 
jority  of  these  Chinamen  are  of  the  poor,  un 
educated,  industrious  masses.  They  can  only 
hope,  for  the  present  at  least,  to  perform  the 
most  common  and  unskilled  labor,  and  thus  far, 
they  have  had  but  little  trouble  in  getting  employ 
ment  of  this  kind.  The  supply  has  never  been 
so  much  in  excess  of  the  demand  as  to  bring 
wages  down  below  living  rates. 

Thousands  of  these  men,  as  many  as  ten  thou 
sand  at  one  time,  have  been  employed  in  building 
railroads.  It  is  almost  certain,  that  without  Chi 
nese  labor  we  should  not  as  yet  have  had  any 
general  system  of  railroad  on  this  coast,  nor  any 
railroad  communication  with  the  other  side  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  Our  farms,  and  especially  our 
fruit  ranches,  demand  Chinese  labor.  Up  to  this 
time  in  California,  even  with  the  presence  and  com 
petition  of  Chinese  labor,  the  price  demanded  for 
unskilled  white  labor  is  so  high  that  capital  em 
ploying  white-  labor  alone  is  unwilling  to  invest 
largely  in  manufacturing  or  agricultural  pursuits. 
If  we  had  not  the  Chinese  amojig  us  our  woolen 
mills  and  our  rope  factories  must  be  closed,  and 
our  famous  fruit  ranches  turned  back  into  pas 
ture  grounds.  Without  the  Chinese  we  could 
not  manufacture  any  thing  on  the  Pacific  coast, 


56  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

and  compete  with  importations  from  the  East. 
The  Chinese  take  kindly  to  all  these  industries, 
and  induce  capital  to  invest  in  this  direction. 
But  in  all  these  industries  made  possible  by  the 
Chinese  there  is  required  in  all  the  ramifications 
of  the  business  more  white  than  Chinese  labor; 
and,  while  the  business  itself  would  not  be  pos 
sible  without  the  Chinamen,  yet  the  business 
once  made  possible  and  commenced  by  the  pres 
ence  of  the  Chinese,  engages  capital  and  creates 
a  demand  for  white  labor  which  otherwise  could 
not  find  employment  on  this  coast. 

To  the  wives  and  daughters  of  our  farmers 
and  fruit-growers  the  Chinamen  bring  both  re 
lief  and  blessing.  A  gang  of  workmen  on  a 
farm  or  ranch  work  for  so  much  a  day  or 
month,  finding  themselves,  attending  to  their  own 
commissary  department,  and  cooking  their  own 
food  in  some  out-house  provided  for  that  purpose. 
This  relieves  the  women-folks  from  the  burden 
of  cooking  for  and  waiting  upon  a  set  of  hungry, 
fault-finding  boarders  all  through  th£  hottest  sea 
son  of  the  year.  In  fruit-raising,  for  which  Cali 
fornia  is  wonderfully  adapted,  up  to  this  time 
Chinese  labor  is  indispensable. 

Probably  not  a  single  strawberry  ranch  in  the 
State  is  carried  on,  or  could  be  carried  on,  with 
any  profit,  without  the  employment  of  Chinese 


ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA.  57 

labor.  This  is  a  kind  of  industry  in  which  the 
Chinese  excel  all  competitors.  Yet,  with  this 
industry  carried  on  almost  exclusively  by  "  Chi 
nese  cite  ap  labor  "  our  strawberries  cost  more  by 
the  pound  than  in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  or 
Chicago.  In  this  business,  if  our  producers 
had  to  pay  white  laborers  two  dollars  a  day  for 
less  efficient  service  than  the  Chinaman  gives  for 
one  dollar  or  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents 
a  day,  who  could  afford  to  eat  the  fruit  when 
brought  to  market?  As  it  is,  even  employing 
Chinese  labor,  our  producers  pay  as  much  a 
pound  or  basket  for  picking  as  is  paid  by  the 
producers  in  New  York,  Delaware,  or  Maryland. 
So,  all  over  the  Pacific  Coast,  there  is  a  con 
stant  demand  for  Chinese  labor  simply  because 
steady,  sober,  reliable  white  labor  can  not  be  ob 
tained  at  prices  which  capital  can  afford  to  pay. 
It  is  impossible  to  gather  any  reliable  statement 
as  to  the  number  of  Chinese  employed  in  the 
State  of  California  and  other  parts  of  the  Pacific 
Coast  on  farms,  ranches,  mining  claims,  swamp 
lands,  and  building  roads.  But,  go  where  we 
may,  through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  State, 
and  all  over  the  coast,  and  wherever  we  find  any 
body  at  all,  there  we  find  a  Chinaman,  ready  and 
willing  to  do  any  thing  that  needs  to  be  done, 
from  the  running  of  a  steam-engine  to  the  nurs- 


58  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

ing  of  the  baby.  They  do  a  large  part  of  the 
laundry  business  in  all  the  cities  and  villages  of 
the  State,  and  yet  we  pay  one  dollar  and  fifty 
cents  a  dozen  for  washing  our  linen,  and  poorly 
done  and  badly  torn  it  is  even  then.  If  the  Chi 
nese  competition  in  the  laundry  business  were 
withdrawn  California  would  have  to  come  back, 
for  a  while  at  least,  to  the  ''good  old  days"  of 
early  California  life,  when  a  man  who  could  af 
ford  to  wear  clean  linen — "a  biled  shirt" — was 
considered  a  real  nabob. 

The  Chinese  vegetable  vendors  arc  a  great 
convenience  in  San  Francisco.  There  are  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  of  these  peddlers  who  pay 
ten  dollars  a  quarter  license,  making  a  total  of 
yearly  revenue  to  the  city  from  this  source,  of 
six  thousand  dollars.  In  baskets  suspended  from 
each  end  of  a  shoulder-pole,  these  peddlers  carry 
an  assortment  of  fresh  vegetables  and  fruit  every 
day  to  all  parts  of  the  city.  In  the  far  away 
suburbs,  and  on  the  high  steep  hills,  inaccessible 
by  horse  and  wagon,  these  patient,  toiling  vend 
ors  are  welcomed  as  a  convenience  and  a  blessing. 
The  housewife,  far  out  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 
can  purchase  at  her  own  door,  each  day,  vegeta 
bles  and  fruit  as  cheap  and  as  fresh  as  her  more 
favored  sisters  who  live  near  the  market.  This 
fact  adds  greatly  to  the  comfort  of  the  suburban 


ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA.  59 

home,  and  increases  the  value  of  suburban  real 
estate. 

Probably  about  one-fifth  of  all  the  Chinamen 
in  America  are  to  be  found  in  San  Francisco.  I 
have  endeavored  to  obtain  reliable  statistics  as  to 
the  various  industries  in  which  these  Chinese  arc 
engaged,  and  the  number  of  Chinamen  employed 
in  each,  with  the  following  result : 

Cigar  Makers,  ......   7,500 

Laumlry  men,      ......        3,500 

Sewing  on  machines,          .....    1,230 

Soap   Makers,        ......  231 

Cigar-box  Makers,     ......       324 

Boot  and  Shoe  Makers,         ....  900 

Slipper  Makers,         ......       890 

In  Woolen  Mills,  ......  540 

Merchants,  Traders,  and  Clerks,       .          .          .   5,000 
House  Servants,    ......       4,500 

House  Painters,        ......       105 

Saddle  Makers,     .  .....  140 

Whip  Makers,  ......       240 

Harness  Makers,  .          .          .          .          .  130 

Salt  Makers,       .          .          .          .          .          .          .145 

Slone  Cutters,       ......  145 

Powder  Makers,          .          .          .          .          .          .120 

Broom  Makers,      ,          .          .          .          .          .  150 

Coopers,    .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .140 

In   Lumber  Mills,  .....  140 

Silver  Smiths  and  Wntch  Makers,      .          .          .      254 
Making  Chinese  Clothing,  only    .          .          .  168 

\Vomen,  respectable  families,      ....      120 

Women,   enslaved   prostitutes,        .          .          .       2,600 
Vegetable  Vendors,    .          .          .          .  150 

To  this  we  may  safely  add  three  or  four  thou 
sand  for  transient  residents,  agents,  and  offi 
cers  of  various  associations,  loafers  and  vil 
lains — say  .  ......  3,500 


And  we  have  a  grand  total  of    .          .          .         32,860 


60  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Thirty-two  thousand  eight  hundred  Chinese  in 
the  city  of  San  Francisco ! 

But  how  are  the  farmers,  manufacturers,  and 
labor  contractors  to  engage  these  men,  and  how 
can  they  work  them  when  engaged  ?  This  seems 
to  be  a  puzzle  to  strangers  and  visitors,  and  a 
short  way  out  of  the  difficulty  has  often  been,  to 
say  that  all  these  working-men  have  been  im 
ported  by  the  Six  Companies,  are  owned  by  the 
Six  Companies,  and  can  be  rented,  hired,  or 
bought,  singly,  or  by  the  hundred,  or  by  the 
thousand,  wholesale  or  retail,  from  the  Six  Com 
panies. 

But  when  we  come  to  learn  how  it  is  done, 
we  do  not  find  that  farmers,  or  families,  manu 
facturers,  or  contractors,  ever  go  to  the  Six  Com 
panies  jointly  or  singly,  to  engage  a  single  serv 
ant  or  a  gang  of  workmen  for  any  purpose  what 
ever.  There  are  numerous  Chinese  employment 
agencies,  similar  to  American  employment  agen 
cies,  which  will  undertake  to  furnish  any  num 
ber  and  class  of  workmen  desired.  There  is  also 
generally  some  one  connected  with  each  consid 
erable  mercantile  house  who  will  undertake  to 
fill  a  small  order  for  workmen  from  those  be 
longing  to  his  own  class,  or  who  have  come  from 
his  own  immediate  neighborhood.  It  is  always 
better  to  have  the  whole  gang  from  the  same 


ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA.  6l 

clan  rather  than  from  different  clans.  To  every 
gang  of  laboring  men  there  ought  to  be  one,  at 
least,  who  can  understand  and  speak  a  little  Eng 
lish.  This  one  acts  as  foreman,  does  little  or  no 
work,  and  receives  better  pay  than  the  workmen. 
He  is  responsible  for  the  good  conduct  and  indus 
try  of  the  whole  gang.  He  receives  all  the 
wages  and  distributes  the  money  among  the 
workmen,  often  keeping  a  percentage  of  every 
man's  wages  to  increase  his  own  salary.  China 
men  seem  to  recognize  it  as  right  that  a  percent 
age  of  all  moneys  which  a  man  has  the  privilege 
of  handling  should  stick  to  the  hands  of  the 
manipulator.  There  is,  then,  little  or  no  trouble 
in  securing  a  company  of  Chinese  laborers.  We 
shall  not  be  obliged  to  consult  the  Six  Compa 
nies  any  more  than  we  shall  be  obliged  to  con 
sult  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  or 
the  New  York  Mutual  Insurance  Company.  I 
have  never  known  of  these  Companies  furnishing 
labor,  and  they  constantly,  both  privately  and 
publicly  assert  that  they  do  not  transact  busi 
ness  of  that  kind.  The  Chinese  who  have  be 
come  Christian,  and  have  severed  all  connection 
with  these  Six  Companies,  corroborate  this  view 
of  the  case.  All  that  has  to  be  done  is  simply 
to  go  to  a  Chinese  intelligence  or  employment 
office — some  are  kept  by  Chinamen,  and  some 


62  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

by  white  men — state  the  number  of  men  needed 
and  the  kind  of  labor  to  be  performed,  agree 
upon  the  time  and  terms  of  service,  and  the  Chi 
naman  will  generally  keep  his  engagement. 

As  to  the  Six  Companies,  we  will  devote  a  lit 
tle  more  time  to  them  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 
Let  us  now  take  a  walk  through  Chinatown. 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  63 


CHAPTER  IV. 

SCENES    IN    CHINATOWN,   SAN    FRANCISCO. 

LET  us  now  take  a  walk  up  through  China 
town,  and  "see  what  we  can  see."  Don't 
be  afraid  of  the  distance,  it  is  not  far.  China 
town  is  close  by;  don't  you  smell  it? 

All  countries  have  their  own  peculiar  smell. 
The  very  dogs  of  a  country  distinguish  at  a  great 
distance  the  smell  of  a  foreigner  from  the  smell 
of  a  native. 

The  Frenchmen  smells  of  -garlic ;  the  Irish 
man  smells  of  whisky  and  tobacco ;  the  German 
smells  of  sour  krout  and  lager,  and  smells  strong 
too ;  the  Englishman  smells  of  roast  beef  and 
"'arf  and  'arf;"  the  American  smells  of  corn-cake 
and  pork  and  beans.  The  Chinese  smell  is  a 
mixture  and  a  puzzle,  a  marvel  and  a  wonder,  a 
mystery  and  a  disgust ;  but,  nevertheless,  you 
shall  find  it  a  palpable  fact.  The  smell  of  opium 
raw  and  cooked,  and  in  the  process  of  cooking, 
mixed  with  the  smell  of  cigars,  and  tobacco 
leaves  wet  and  dry,  dried  fish  and  dried  vegeta 
bles,  and  a  thousand  other  indescribable  ingredi- 


64  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

ents ;  all  these  toned  to  a  certain  degree  by  what 
may  be  called  a  shippy  smell,  produce  a  sensa 
tion  upon  the  olfactory  nerves  of  the  average 
American,  which  once  experienced  will  not  soon 
be  forgotten.  But  never  mind,  we  shall  not  no 
tice  the  smell  so  much  when  we  get  a  little  fur 
ther  into  it,  and  have  become  a  little  more  accus 
tomed  to  it. 

In  China  the  streets  are  very  narrow,  and 
without  sidewalks  for  the  use  of  pedestrians. 
Burden  carriers  and  foot  passengers  of  every 
grade  all  walk  in  the  one  narrow  street,  jostling 
and  crowding  each  other  in  strange  confusion. 
But  in  Chinatown,  San  Francisco,  the  streets  are 
wide  and  paved,  and  have  sidewalks  like  the 
streets  and  sidewalks  of  other  parts  of  the  city. 
The  buildings  also  in  Chinatown  are  all  of  Amer 
ican  architecture,  of  a  plain  style.  A  few  old 
frame  buildings  are  still  standing,  but  as  the 
whole  of  Chinatown  has  been  for  some  time 
within  the  fire-limits,  the  most  of  the  buildings 
occupied  by  the  Chinese  are  of  brick,  two  or 
three  stories  high,  with  a  cellar  or  basement. 
With  these  two  exceptions,  "China,  as  it  is," 
can  be  seen  here  in  San  Francisco  almost  as  well 
as  in  China  itself.  The  streets  are  full  of  China 
men  and  a  few  Chinese  women  dressed  in  Chi 
nese  fashion,  the  men  with  shaven  crown  and 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  65 

braided  cue,  walking  with  a  Chinese  shuffle  or  a 
Chinese  swagger,  and  talking  loudly  in  various 
Chinese  dialects. 

One  of  the  first  things  we  shall  notice,  next 
after  the  people  themselves,  will  be  the  strange 
sign-boards,  telling  us  the  name  of  the  store  or 
business  that  may  be  carried  on.  The  front  of 
their  shops  and  stores  and  their  numerous  sign 
boards  are  covered  with  gilt  or  gaudily  painted 
Chinese  characters,  perfectly  unintelligible  to 
Americans  unless  translated  into  the  English  lan 
guage — as  they  sometimes  are — and  then  it  even 
puzzles  the  Yankee  to  grasp  the  full  meaning  of 
an  apothecary's  sign,  translated,  "The  Temple  of 
Heavenly  Harmonies."  As  with  Americans,  so 
often  with  the  Chinese,  the  smaller  the  business 
the  more  grandiloquent  and  sensational  the  an 
nouncement.  Large  wholesale  establishments 
will  perhaps  be  satisfied  with  the  name  of  the 
firm  over  the  entrance  in  gilt  letters,  usually 
read  from  right  to  left.  Thus ' '  Wing  Wo  Sang 
Co."  would  be  written  and  read  thus: 


Sang  Wo  Wing 

(Produces)  (Harmony)  (Everlasting) 

The  character  Wing   means   everlasting;   the 
character   Wo    means   harmony,    and    the   char- 
5 


66  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

acter  Sang  means  to  beget  or  to  produce.  So 
there  can  be  no  discord  in  this  company.  The 
character  Wo,  meaning  harmony  or  mutual  agree 
ment,  is  very  popular  and  much  used  in  making 
up  these  fanciful  firm  names.  It  is  not  custom 
ary  with  the  Chinese  to  give  the  names  of  the 
parties  composing  the  firm  as  the  firm  name,  but 
some  fanciful,  high-sounding  phrase  is  selected. 
Here,  for  instance,  is  this  butcher-shop  called 
"Man  Wo, — Ten  Thousand  Harmonies."  Such 
phrases  are  peculiarly  pleasing  to  the  Chinese 
mind,  and  are  suggestive  of  good  luck.  A  small 
retail  dealer  will  often  cover  the  lintel  and  side- 
posts  of  his  door,  or  place  a  board  vertically, 
edge  toward  the  street,  both  sides  covered  with 
highly  colored  Chinese  characters,  announcing 
the  most  magnificent  firm  name,  and  describing 
in  grandest  style  the  wonderful  things  on  hand 
for  sale.  But  here  we  are  on  Sacramento  and 
Dupont  Streets,  where  we  shall  find  quite  large 
and  influential  wholesale  houses,  some  of  which 
are  doing  an  extensive  business. 

Let  us  go  into  one.  We  shall  most  likely 
find  some  one  of  the  number  who  can  speak  a 
little  English.  Boxes  of  tea  and  bags  of  rice 
are  piled  up  snugly  in  one  part  of  the  room. 
There  is  a  counter  on  one  side,  behind  which  is 
the  book-keeper,  and  perhaps  also  one  or  two 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  6/ 

salesmen.  The  shelves  on  one  side  are  filled  with 
a  variety  of  lighter  articles  of  merchandise,  such 
as  shoes  and  clothing,  indicating  that  somebody 
does  a  little  retailing  in  that  line.  There  may 
also  be  a  drug -store  in  one  corner.  Quite  a 
number  of  men  are  sitting  about,  all  calm  and 
serene.  The  Chinese  are  too  conservative  in 
their  nature  to  bustle  and  hurry  in  their  trade. 
If  a  man  desires  to  purchase  he  will  certainly 
make  some  inquiries,  and  it  will  be  time  enough 
to  show  him  the  goods  when  he  gets  ready  to 
ask  for  the  particular  kind  he  wishes  to  buy. 
We  are  kindly  received  and  asked  to  be  seated. 
One  of  the  attendants  brings  tea  in  the  tiniest  of 
little  cups.  Another,  who  understands  Amer 
ican  tastes  a  little  better,  offers  cigars,  and  those 
who  have  been  in  America  the  longest — sad 
commentary  on  our  social  customs — bring  out 
different  kinds  of  wines  and  champagne. 

These  stores  are  all  comfortably  clean,  and  every 
thing  appears  orderly.  The  principals  and  their 
assistants  and  attendants  are  all  comparatively  neat 
and  clean  in  their  persons.  They  are  polite  and 
well  behaved.  Using,  as  they  do,  a  vast  amount 
of  capital  in  this  country,  doing  a  legitimate  busi 
ness  in  a  legitimate  way,  this  class  of  Chinese 
in  the  aggregate  must  add  largely  to  the  revenues 
of  the  city,  and  aid  in  the  development  of  the 


68  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

State.  Receiving  the  parting  salutations  of  our 
newly  made  acquaintances,  we  will  walk  on. 
"What  humming  and  buzzing  is  this  we  hear?" 
"Just  look  here;  this  is  not  a  store,  this  is  a 
work-shop."  Yes,  here  are  twenty  sewing-ma 
chines,  busy  ten  hours  daily,  all  run  by  China 
men  making  coarse  drilling  into  overalls.  The 
machines  stand  pretty  close  together,  and  the 
room  seems  small  for  so  many  workmen;  but 
they  look  healthy  and  happy,  talking  and  chatting 
as  they  work. 

The  Chinese  nearly,  if  not  wholly,  monop 
olize  the  manufacture  of  these  overalls  in  Cali 
fornia.  But  then,  until  the  Chinese  began  to 
make  them,  none  were  made  on  this  coast,  the 
entire  supply  being  imported  from  the  East. 
Here  is  another  shop  running  about  the  same 
number  of  machines  and  men,  working  up  flan 
nel  undershirts  and  drawers.  Here  is  a  sign, 
"Shirt  Maker."  In  this  place  they  make  gen 
tlemen's  fine  shirts  for  some  wholesale  establish 
ment,  taking  the  liberty,  now  and  then,  to  make 
a  dozen  or  so  to  sell  as  a  private  venture.  I 
know  of  a  Chinaman,  who,  for  some  time,  has 
made  the  finest  bosoms  for  the  finest  of  gentle 
men's  shirts  that  are  sold  in  one  of  the  most 
hicfh-toned  stores  of  San  Francisco.  Since  the 

o 

recent  Anti-Chinese  crusade,  white^ labor  is  pro- 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  69 

fessedly  employed,  to  make  these  fine  bosoms, 
but  the  fact  is,  the  same  Chinaman  makes  them 
still,  only,  as  he  says,  "Now,  I  make  'em 
secret." 

Here,  on  Jackson  Street,  is  a  silversmith. 
About  a  dozen  men  are  employed  here  in  mak 
ing  finger-rings,  hair-pins,  and  other  Chinese 
ornaments.  The  sign  over  this  shop  when  trans 
lated  reads,  "Hand-craft."  Close  by  is  a  shoe- 
factory,  using  all  kinds  of  modern  machinery, 
and  employing  about  twenty-five  men,  making 
ladies'  boots,  shoes,  and  slippers.  The  China 
men  have  got  hold  of  a  considerable  part  of  this 
business.  At  first  they  only  made  coarse,  cheap 
slippers,  but  now  quite  a  number  of  shops  are 
engaged  only  in  making  ladies'  boots  and  shoes. 
There  is  a  tin-shop  just  around  the  corner  on 
Dupont  Street,  and  here,  on  Washington  Street, 
the  Chinamen  manufacture  all  kinds  of  ladies' 
fine  underwear.  Some  people  will  object  to  this, 
but  if  the  women  would  only  make  their  own, 
the  Chinamen  would  not  get  the  job.  We  can 
hardly  blame  the  Chinese  for  making  them. 
Surely  it  is  better  that  the  Chinamen  make  these 
indispensable  articles  than  that  the  dear  people 
should  go  without  them. 

But  here  is  a  three-storied  building,  with  bal 
conies  on  the  second  and  third  stories,  gaudily 


/O  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

painted  with  deep  green,  and  trimmed  with  red. 
A  profusion  of  Chinese  lanterns  suspended  in 
these  balconies  helps  to  give  the  place  a  peculiarly 
Oriental  appearance.  This  is  a  Chinese  restaurant. 
Like  the  other  Californians,  many  of  the  China 
men  board  in  restaurants.  The  merchants  usually 
keep  a  cook  and  a  small  kitchen  in  the  rear  of 
their  establishments,  and  use  the  principal  store 
room  for  a  dining-room,  but  they  all  go  to  the 
restaurants  for  party  dinners ;  and  thousands  of 
the  common  people  live  constantly  in  them.  The 
cheap  cellar  eating  houses  are  exceedingly  filthy 
places ;  but  these  more  pretentious  restaurants  on 
Dupont  and  Jackson  Streets  are,  as  you  see, 
quite  respectable  in  their  appointments  and  gen 
eral  appearance. 

The  Chinese  cooking  is  more  like  the  French 
than  the  English.  They  are  fond  of  cutting  every 
thing  up  fine,  and  mixing  different  things  together. 
Their  meats  are  usually  well  cooked,  and  some  of 
their  pastry  is  light,  though  not  generally  so.  The 
principal  drawbacks  to  the  enjoyment  of  a  real 
Chinese  dinner  are  two:  the  inability  of  Ameri 
cans  to  use  chopsticks,  and  the  fact  that  many  of 
the  dishes  taste  of  rancid  oil  or  strong  butter. 
The  principal  dishes  are  prepared  and  placed  on 
the  table  within  reach  of  all.  Then  each  one 
drives  his  own  chopsticks  into  the  common  dish 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  71 

and  carries  a  piece  to  his  mouth.  This  requires 
considerable  skill  and  practice.  Americans  gen 
erally  find  ' '  many  a  slip  between  the  cup  and 
the  lip."  If  you  get  a  bone  in  your  mouth  after 
getting  all  the  meat  off,  just  turn  your  head  and 
drop  the  bone  on  the  floor.  The  Chinamen  often 
indulge  in  a  social  dinner,  each  one  paying  his 
share,  costing  each  from  two  dollars  and  a  half  to 
five  dollars,  and  over.  These  high-toned  restaur 
ants  also  keep  knives,  forks,  plates,  table-cloths, 
and  napkins,  and  can,  on  due  notice,  get  up 
quite  a  respectable  American  dinner. 

Plain  living  in  a  common  restaurant  can  be 
had  by  a  Chinaman  for  eight  to  ten  dollars  a 
month.  Good  living  will  cost  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  dollars  a  month,  according  to  the  taste 
and  ability  of  the  boarder.  In  company  with 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Newman,  Mrs.  Newman,  and  Rev. 
Dr.  Sunderland,  of  Washington  City,  and  Dr.  J. 
T.  M'Lean,  of  San  Francisco,  I  once  took  a  Chi 
nese  dinner  at  the  restaurant  on  Jackson  Street. 
Dr.  Newman  took  hold  and  ate  like  a  hungry 
man,  and  when  I  thought  he  must  be  about  filled, 
he  astonished  me  by  saying  that  the  meats  were 
excellent,  and  were  it  not  that  he  had  to  deliver 
a  lecture  that  evening,  he  would  take  hold  and 
eat  a  good  hearty  dinner.  Dr.  Sunderland  did 
not  seem  to  relish  things  quite  so  well.  But  Mrs. 


72  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Newman  relishing  some  of  the  meats,  and  failing 
to  get  the  pieces  to  her  mouth  with  the  chop 
sticks,  wisely  threw  aside  all  conventional  no 
tions,  used  her  fingers  instead  of  chopsticks,  and, 
as  the  Californians  would  say,  "ate  a  square 
meal."  In  every  Chinese  restaurant  of  any  pre 
tensions  is  a  raised  platform  or  dais  under  a  can 
opy,  provided  with  pipe  and  pillow  for  the  use 
of  opium  smokers.  Opium  is  the  curse  of  the 
Chinese,  just  as  intoxicating  liquor  is  the  curse 
of  Americans. 

Now  let  us  visit  one  of  the  Chinese  Temples. 
The  Chinese  have  opened  their  heathen  tem 
ples,  and  set  up  their  heathen  idols  and  altars 
in  this  Christian  land;  and  instead  of  our  convert 
ing  their  temples  into  Christian  churches,  they 
have  absolutely  changed  one  of  the  first  Protest 
ant  churches  of  this  city  into  a  habitation  for 
heathen.  One  of  these  heathen  temples,  or  an 
apology  for  one,  is  to  be  found  in  almost  every 
place  where  any  number  of  Chinamen  have  taken 
up  their  abode.  Some  four  or  five  of  consider 
able  pretensions,  in  a  Chinese  way,  are  to  be 
found  in  San  Francisco,  besides  a  number  of 
smaller  ones.  Each  of  the  famous  Six  Compa 
nies,  with  the  exception  of  the  Yan  Wo  Com 
pany,  owns  or  controls  a  temple.  In  these  tem 
ples  are  "gods  many  and  lords  many,"  and  god- 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  73 

desses  and  attendant  divinities,  and  tablets  and 
inscriptions,  and  incense  sticks  and  incense  urns, 
and  elaborate  carvings  in  the  most  grotesque  of 
designs,  and  gongs  and  bells  with  which  to  arouse 
the  gods  when  too  drowsy  to  hear  the  prayers  of 
the  people;  and  priests  to  teach  the  poor  devo 
tee  the  ceremonials  of  his  worship.  They  do  not 
have  congregational  worship  at  stated  times  as 
Christian  people  do.  There  are  certain  feast-days 
and  birthdays  of  their  gods  and  goddesses,  when 
large  crowds  throng  the  temples,  with  their  offer 
ings  and  prayers  ;  but  single  straggling  worship 
ers  may  be  found  in  these  temples  almost  every 
hour  of  the  day. 

One  of  the  principal  Chinese  "joss-houses"  is 
called  the  "Eastern  Glorious  Temple."  This 
temple  is  largely  owned  and  controlled  by  Dr. 
Lai  Po  Tai,  a  Chinese  quack  doctor,  who  is  said 
to  have  accumulated  a  large  fortune  practicing 
medicine  among  a  class  of  weak-minded,  easily 
duped  Americans,  both  men  and  women.  In 
the  central  hall  of  this  temple  we  find  a  trio  of 
gods.  The  central  figure  is  known  by  the  high- 
sounding  title  "  The  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  Somber 
Heavens"  and  has  control  of  the  northern  re 
gions.  He  is  pretty  good  at  preventing  confla 
grations,  and  so  is  sometimes  called  the  ' '  Water 
God."  He  eats  vegetables  only.  Sitting  at  the 


74  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

left  hand  of  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  Somber 
Heavens  is  a  black,  ugly-looking  fellow,  the 
Chinese  god  of  war,  sometimes  called  the  "  Mili 
tary  Sage."  This  god  is  worshiped  in  order  to 
become  brave  and  courageous.  At  the  right 
hand  of  The  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  Somber  Heav 
ens  is  a  calm-faced  image,  "The  Great  King  of 
the  Southern  Ocean."  This  god  is  said  to  be 
very  large-hearted,  almost  boundless  in  the  sweep 
of  his  benevolence. 

These  are  only  a  specimen  of  the  many 
heathen  deities  which  adorn  the  Chinese  temples 
of  this  city  and  coast.  No  engraving  or  descrip 
tion  can  give  any  adequate  idea  of  the  debasing 
influence  of  idolatry.  To  the  true  Christian  it  is 
utterly  disgusting  and  abhorrent.  Christianity  is 
making  some  weak  efforts  to  show  our  Chinese 
brethren  a  better  way. 

Now  we  will  go  down  to  the  theaters.  There 
are  two  principal  ones,  both  on  Jackson  Street, 
between  Kearney  and  Dupont,  on  opposite  sides 
of  the  street  and  almost  facing  each  other.  Right 
beside  the  one,  and  just  facing  the  other  is  the 
"Foke  Yam  Tong ;"  that  is,  "The  Gospel  Tem 
ple,"  or,  in  plain  English,  "The  Methodist 
Chapel;"  so  we  shall  have  a  chance  to  compare 
these  rival  institutions — a  Chinese  theater  and  a 
Methodist  Chapel. 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  75 

We  will  look  into  this  barber-shop  as  we  pass, 
and  see  how  things  are  done  in  that  line.  The 
head  and  face  are  washed  in  warm  water,  but  no 
lather  is  used.  See  this  performance.  The  head 
is  shaved,  the  face  is  shaved,  the  forehead  is 
shaved,  the  ears  are  scraped,  and  the  cue  is 
braided.  If  a  Caucasian  should  shave  his  face 
and  forehead  in  that  way,  both  would  soon  be 
covered  with  bristles.  But  the  Chinamen  are 
not  much  given  to  beard.  In  China  it  is  not  the 
custom  for  a  boy  under  forty  years  of  age  to  al 
low  his  beard  or  mustache  to  grow  long.  A 
very  good  custom  for  them,  for  the  most  of  them 
could  not  grow  whiskers  if  they  should  try. 
There  are  few  exceptions  to  this  general  state 
ment,  as  occasionally  we  see  a  Chinaman  with 
quite  a  heavy  beard,  who  might  grow  a  respect 
able  crop  of  whiskers  if  he  should  try.  It  is  not 
customary,  however,  for  Chinamen  to  wear  side 
whiskers.  Old  men  wear  a  mustache  and  goatee. 
Considerable  attention  is  paid  to  the  cue,  or, 
(<  pig-tail,"  as  it  is  often  called  in  derision.  This 
must  be  nicely  combed  and  braided  and  left  with 
a  silk  tassel  at  the  end.  Chinese  dandies  pay 
great  attention  to  this  part  of  their  toilet.  This 
cue  is  often  in  the  way ;  workmen  uniformly 
twist  it  around  the  head,  but  gentry,  scholars, 
men  of  leisure  and  society,  never.  This  shaving 


76  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

of  the  head  and  braiding  of  the  cue  is  a  very 
singular  custom,  but  it  is  universal  among  the 
Chinese ;  and  although  thousands  of  these  in 
America  would  be  glad  to  adopt  our  custom  of 
wearing  the  hair — at  least  while  in  this  country — 
still  such  is  the  power  of  custom  and  prejudice 
that  a  Chinaman  loses  caste,  and  is  tabooed  by 
his  countrymen,  as  soon  as  he  makes  the  inno 
vation  and  cuts  off  his  cue.  Even  those  who  in 
their  hearts  would  like  to  do  such  a  thing,  openly 
ridicule  the  change.  This  shaving  the  head  and 
wearing  the  cue  is  not,  as  many  people  suppose, 
a  religious  custom  at  all.  It  has  no  more  to  do 
with  the  religion  of  the  Chinese,  their  religious 
rites  and  ceremonies,  than  has  an  American  bar 
ber-shop  to  do  with  the  sacraments  of  the  Chris 
tian  religion. 

Newspaper  writers  have  sometimes  told  their 
readers  that  only  Christian  Chinese  leave  off  the 
cue  and  adopt  the  American  style  of  dress. 
That  is  a  mistake.  Some  two  or  three  Chinese 
Christians  have  adopted  the  American  dress 
and  haye  discarded  the  cue,  but  the  Chinese 
Christians  generally  have  not  done  so.  The  mis 
sionaries,  who  understand  their  business  rather 
better  than  newspaper  writers  do,  know  that  true 
religion  requires  a  change  of  heart  rather  than 
a  change  in  the  cut  of  the  hair.  A  number  of 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  77 

Chinese  who  are  very  far  from  being  Christians 
have  also  changed  their  dress  and  discarded  the 
cue.  It  is  probable  that  one-half  of  the  Chi 
nese  in  America  would  really  be  glad  to  adopt 
our  fashions  in  this  matter,  if  there  could  be  a 
general  move  in  that  direction.  But  if  they 
should  .do  this,  on  returning  to  China  custom 
would  compel  them  to  resume  the  cue  and  the 
Chinese  dress.  Probably  this  cue  business  is 
more  in  the  way  of  Americanizing  the  Chinese 
than  any  other  one  thing.  So  long  as  the  cue 
is  retained  the  Chinese  fashion  of  dress  will  be 
retained,  and  these  two  things  will  forever  make 
them  a  distinct  and  peculiar  people.  If  they 
would  adopt  our  customs  in  these  things,  they 
would  not  be  so  much  more  peculiar  than  the 
Japanese,  Italians,  or  Portugese,  and  then  the 
way  would  be  opened  for  further  and  more  rapid 
assimilation.  Doubtless  assimilation  will  come 
in  time,  but  the  Chinese  are  extremely  conserv 
ative,  and  it  takes  a  long  time  to  permeate  the 
thought  of  a  whole  Chinese  community  with  a 
favorable  notion  of  any  change  in  their  national 
customs.  But  while  they  are  conservative  on 
the  one  hand,  on  the  other  hand  they  are  ex 
ceedingly  material  and  practical  in  all  their  ways 
and  modes  of  thought,  and  so  this  friction  with 
a  higher  civilization  will  have  its  influence  upon 


78  THE  CHINESE    IN  AMERICA. 

them  in  the  course  of  time.  In  all  practical 
matters,  show  the  Chinaman  a  better  way  than 
his  own,  give  him  time  to  consider  it  carefully 
in  all  its  bearings,  place  him  in  competition 
with  it,  and  he  is  altogether  too  human  not  to 
adopt  it,  to  some  extent  at  least. 

But  we  started  to  go  from  the  restaurant  to 
the  theater,  and  have  spent  all  this  time  in  this 
barber-shop.  Here  is  one  theater,  and  there, 
just  across  the  street,  is  the  other.  I  have  vis 
ited  these  Chinese  theaters  several  times  as  a 
matter  of  curiosity  and  to  show  the  travelers  of 
the  East  the  sights  of  Chinatown.  But  not  be 
ing  well  versed  in  such  matters,  I  will  give  the 
readers  a  description  of  them  copied  from  the  San 
Francisco  Chronicle,  which  corresponds  with  my 
own  observations  as  far  as  made: 

"The  Chinese  are  passionately  fond  of  dram 
atic  performances.  The  plays  generally  repre 
sent  some  historical  train  of  events,  extending 
through  the  reign  of  a  dynasty  or  an  interesting 
national  epoch.  Very  little  is  left  to  the  imagi 
nation  of  the  spectator,  and  the  literal  text  of  the 
drama  does  not  develop  a  plot  with  any  thing 
like  the  rapidity  and  dispatch  which  characterize 
our  American  and  English  plays.  The  Chinese 
play  is  emphatically  a  physical  delineation  of 
events  from  beginning  to  end.  The  most  trivial 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  79 

occurrences  of  life  are  faithfully  portrayed,  and  at 
times  very  questionable  and  obscene  practices  are 
represented,  but  not  often.  Two  or  three  months 
are  generally  consumed  before  all  the  acts  of  a 
play  are  finished.  Chinese  actors  are  not  held  in 
high  estimation,  and  the  'starring'  system  is  not 
known  among  them.  There  are  two  Chinese 
theaters  in  this  city,  the  most  popular  of  which  is 
the  Chinese  Royal  Theater  on  Jackson  Street,  be 
tween  Dupont  and  Kearney. 

"  When  one  of  the  characters  in  the  play  falls 
upon  the  stage,  either  from  the  effects  of  a  blow 
or  a  fainting  attack,  supernumeraries  at  once  step 
forward  and  place  under  the  head  of  the  fallen 
man  or  woman  a  small  block  of  wood  or  other 
substance,  for  a  pillow.  A  slain  person  lies  in 
this  way  until  the  end  of  the  scene,  when  he 
coolly  arises  and  walks  off  the  stage  in  full  view 
of  the  entire  audience.  The  stage  has  no  flies, 
shifting  scenes,  or  drop  curtain,  but  is  simply  an 
elevated  platform,  with  two  doors  at  the  rear, 
through  which  the  actors  make  their  entrance 
and  exit.  The  orchestra  occupies  the  rear  of 
the  stage,  keeping  up  an  infernal  din  with  gongs, 
Chinese  guitars,  and  fiddles,  triangles  and  cym 
bals,  throughout  the  dialogue.  On  either  side  of 
the  performers,  upon  the  stage,  not  less  than  a 
dozen  actors  and  attaches  sit  and  lounge  about, 


80  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

smoking,  munching  sugar-cane  or  sweetmeats, 
and  at  times  even  crossing  the  stage  while  a 
scene  is  in  progress.  The  audience  at  a  Chinese 
theater  never  applauds.  Occasionally  a  half- 
suppressed  murmur  of  satisfaction  is  heard,  but 
no  clapping  of  hands,  stamping  with  feet,  whis 
tles  or  cat-calls  are  indulged  in.  The  men  sit 
with  their  hats  on,  generally  posting  themselves 
upon  the  backs  of  the  seats  instead  of  on  the 
benches.  Smoking  and  eating  are  constantly  in 
progress  among  the  spectators,  and  the  practice 
of  running  in  and  out  of  the  theater  during  the 
play  is  indulged.  The  auditorium  of  the  Royal 
Chinese  Theater  does  not  compare  favorably  with 
the  plainest  arrangements  of  one  of  our  cheap 
traveling  circuses  in  the  country.  There  is  a 
parquette  capable  of  seating  about  six  hundred, 
and  a  circle  or  gallery  where  four  or  five  hundred 
can  stow  themselves.  Near  the  stage,  and  ele 
vated  eight  or  ten  feet  above  it,  are  three  so-called 
private  boxes,  but  they  are  barren  of  any  thing 
like  decoration  or  special  comfort.  On  the  oppo 
site  side  is  a  small  gallery  for  female  visitors,  with 
a  seating  capacity  of  about  forty  persons.  These 
sit  with  their  feet  elevated  upon  the  balcony  rail, 
and  smoke  and  eat  throughout  the  performance. 
The  costumes  of  the  actors  are  grotesque,  some 
times  hideous,  in  the  extreme.  Occasionally  a 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  8 1 

little  dancing  diversifies  the  play,  but  this  is  an 
exercise  never  indulged  in  by  the  Chinese  off 
the  stage.  They  can  not  understand  why  peo 
ple  should  exhaust  themselves  in  this  way  when 
they  can  employ  actors  to  do  it  for  them.  The 
price  of  admission  varies  according  to  the  time 
of  application  for  a  ticket.  Those  who  go  at 
eight  o'clock  pay  four  bits ;  at  ten  only  two  bits 
are  charged,  and  at  an  hour  or  two  later  admission 
can  be  had  for  one  bit.  Judged  from  an  American 
stand-point,  those  who  attend  a  Chinese  theater 
ought  to  receive  a  good  salary  paid  in  advance" 

To  this  I  may  add,  that  although  the  Chinese 
theatricals  do  not  show  much  dancing,  yet  they 
do  sometimes  exhibit  rare  feats  in  tumbling, 
jumping,  turning  cart-wheels,  etc.  This  part  of 
a  Chinese  theatrical  performance  is  really  amus 
ing  and  worth  seeing  for  once.  You  will  notice 
in  looking  into  the  theater,  while  a  play  is  going 
on,  that  both  the  auditorium  and  the  gallery  are 
well  filled ;  a  perfect  sea  of  black  hats,  but  not  a 
woman  in  the  whole  crowd  of  one  thousand  per 
sons.  Up  there  in  a  little  side  gallery  may  be 
forty  or  fifty  women  and  children.  And  that  is 
about  the  proprotion  of  the  sexes  in  this  country. 

We  have  stayed  long  enough  in  the  theater. 
What  music  is  that  we  hear  across  the  way.  It 
sounds  like  a  Sunday-school  organ,  and  the  tune 
6 


82  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

is  "Nettlcton."  Some  persons  are  evidently 
singing  a  hymn,  though  we  can  not  distinguish 
the  words.  The  Chinamen  are  flocking  into  that 
little  place  across  the  street,  seemingly  curious  to 
see  what  new  music  that  may  be.  We  will  go 
in  and  see  what  is  going  on.  Over  the  door  are 
three  large  Chinese  characters,  and  on  the  glass 
windows  is  written  in  English  letters,  "Foke 
Yam  Tong, "  and  here  it  says,  "Methodist 
Chapel."  The  room  seems  to  be  a  common 
store,  now  fitted  and  furnished  as  a  chapel. 

The  walls  and  ceilings  are  nicely  covered  with 
paper  frescoing,  and  at  intervals,  on  either  side, 
are  Scripture  quotations  in  the  Chinese  language. 
Back  of  the  speaker's  platform  are  the  Ten  Com 
mandments,  also  in  Chinese  characters.  The 
room  is  small,  having  a  seating  capacity  of  about 
seventy-five,  with  a  little  space  for  standing  room. 
In  the  rear  of  this  audience-room  is  a  small  in 
fant  school-room,  where  a  school  for  Chinese 
children  is  conducted  by  H.  W.  Stowe  at  his  own 
expense,  he  devoting  his  time  to  the  work  of 
the  Savior  among  the  Chinese,  and  trusting  to 
the  Lord  to  provide  the  necessary  means.  Thus 
far  the  Lord  has  sustained  him.  On  the  little 
platform  is  the  organ  we  heard,  and  there  sits 
the  preacher,  just  beginning  another  tune;  the 
house  is  now  pretty  well  filled,  and  he  is  about 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  83 

to  begin  some  kind  of  service.  There  is  a  frame 
on  the  stand  filled  with  Christian  hymns  in  the 
Chinese  language.  The  preacher  has  selected  one, 
and  now  he  starts  in.  You  do  not  understand 
the  words,  but  you  know  the  tune,  and  so  you 
sing  too : 

''Jesus  loves  me,  this  I  know." 

The  Chinamen  listen  with  a  strange  curiosity,  and 
wonder  what  all  this  means. 

By  this  time  the  room  is  crowded  full  and 
many  are  standing  by  the  door,  among  them 
some  white  people.  That  decent-looking  man, 
who  stands  with  his  hat  raised,  is  a  stranger  in 
the  city,  and  has  some  respect  for  the  Gospel  of 
Christ.  That  man  who  looks  defiance,  and  mut 
ters  fearful  curses  against  the  missionaries  and 
against  the  Chinese  in  general,  is  a  valiant  mem 
ber  of  some  Anti-Chinese  League,  who  believes 
that  this  country  was  only  made  for  Patrick  and 
Biddy.  That  seedy-looking  man,  who  stands 
weeping,  is  a  poor,  miserable  fellow,  who  once, 
in  other  and  better  days,  in  some  village  church 
in  the  East,  sang  those  same  tunes  and  wor 
shiped  with  parents,  brothers  and  sisters  at  the 
altars  of  Jesus.  But  whisky  has  been  his  ruin. 
He  is  now  a  hopeless  slave  to  his  cruel  master, 
and  even  while  weeping  at  the  recollection  of 
those  early  days  of  pure  joy,  he  is  partially  under 


84  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

the  influence  of  liquor.  The  Chinamen  sit  pas 
sive  and  unmoved  waiting  to  see  what  next. 
The  hymn  finished,  the  preacher  speaks  a  few 
words  in  a  pleasant  colloquial  style,  and  then  all 
stand  up  while  he  prays  for  God's  blessing. 
During  the  prayer  some  of  the  Chinamen  go 
out,  evidently  fearing  that  some  secret  mystic 
influence  may  be  exercised  upon  them.  Others 
remain  sitting,  fearing  that  if  they  stand  they 
will  be  numbered  among  the  Christians.  After 
the  prayer  the  preacher  reads  a  few  verses  in  the 
Bible,  and  then  to  the  best  of  his  ability  expounds 
the  Gospel  of  salvation.  These  services  usually 
last  an  hour,  but  often,  and  especially  on  Sun 
days,  they  are  continued  for  two  hours ;  and  this 
has  been  the  rule  for  every  day  in  the  week  ex 
cept  Saturdays  for  the  last  four  years. 

The  missionary  aids  the  native  preacher  in  this 
work  once  or  twice  a  week,  but  it  is  the  plan 
that  the  native  preacher  shall  do  most  of  this 
work.  Rev.  Hu  Sing  Mi,  an  ordained  deacon, 
transferred  from  the  Foo  Chow  China  Mission, 
was  the  first  native  preacher  in  this  chapel. 
Next  was  Chow  Loke  Chee,  the  first  Chinese 
convert  of  the  Methodist  Mission  in  San  Fran 
cisco.  Then  Chan  Pak  Kwai,  now  stationed  in 
San  Jose,  and  now  Lau  Hok  Han.  These  three 
last  were  all  converted  in  connection  with  the 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  85 

Methodist  Mission  in  San  Francisco,  and  have 
given  evidence  of  the  soundness  of  their  conver 
sion  and  of  their  call  to  the  work  of  the  Master. 
Chow  Loke  Chee  is  now  in  China  with  the  Wes- 
leyan  Mission  in  Canton.  A  few  years  since 
Lau  Hok  Han  was  an  inveterate  opium  smoker, 
and  got  his  living  in  part  by  making  cigars,  and 
partly  by  playing  the  flute  at  the  Chinese  thea 
ter.  He  seems  to  be  truly  converted,  and 
preaches  quite  fluently,  and  sometimes  with 
marked  effect.  His  seated  congregation  varies 
from  thirty-five  to  seventy-five,  but  his  voice  is 
loud  and  clear,  and  can  be  readily  heard  by  per 
sons  in  the  adjoining  stores  and  by  the  roomers 
and  lodgers  above  and  below,  so  that  his  actual 
hearers  will  average  more  than  a  hundred. 

Probably  five  thousand  different  Chinamen 
learn  something  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  in  this 
chapel  during  the  year.  No  other  mission  has 
as  yet  been  able  to  secure  a  chapel  or  preaching 
place  in  Chinatown  proper.  It  seems  strange 
that  the  Methodist  mission  does  not  rent  the  ad 
joining  store,  and  enlarge  the  chapel  by  one-half. 
If  the  room  were  twice  as  large  twice  the  num 
ber  would  attend.  This  chapel  preaching,  though 
not  productive  of  immediate  and  palpable  results, 
is  a  great  seed  sower.  On  Sundays,  the  Chinese 
Christians  volunteer  in  a  regular  Methodist  way 


86  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

to  exhort  or  preach,  and  the  native  Christians 
from  the  other  missions  come  in  and  help,  so 
that  the  Sunday  services  often  occupy  nearly  the 
whole  afternoon.  At  six  o'clock  P.  M.,  Sun 
day,  there  is  a  <(  Chinese  Mission  Sunday-school  " 
in  the  Chinese  language  in  this  chapel,  conducted 
altogether  by  Chinese,  Lau  Hok  Han  superin 
tendent.  About  forty  persons  usually  attend. 
The  only  books  used  are  the  New  Testament  and 
the  Hymn-book. 

The  constant  preaching  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
in  this  Chapel  has  had  the  effect,  at  least,  to  ex 
cite  the  Chinese  to  a  little  active  effort  to  teach 
their  own  peculiar  national  doctrines.  During 
the  last  few  months  the  Chinese  have  employed 
a  teacher  or  preacher  from  China  to  read  and  ex 
pound  the  teachings  of  Confucius,  and  the  cere 
monials  of  heathen  worship.  The  theater  has 
been  used  for  this  purpose,  so  that  in  the  after 
noon,  while  Christian  Chinamen  have  been  ex 
pounding  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  in  the  "  Gospel 
Temple,"  a  heathen  Chinaman  has  been  expound 
ing  the  philosophy  of  Confucius  and  the  ceremo 
nial  of  idolatry  in  a  heathen  theater,  on  the  op 
posite  side  of  the  street.  Of  this  Chinese  preach 
ing  of  Confucian  philosophy  The  Chronicle  of 
May  30,  1876,  says: 

"For  a  long  time  our  celestial  residents  have 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  8/ 

been  keeping  a  suspicious  eye  on  the  inroads  the 
Christian  religion  has  been  making  in  their  ranks. 
They  noted  with  alarm  the  capture  of  some  of 
their  brightest  young  men  by  the  irrepressible 
missionaries,  and  to  stay  the  progress  of  Chris 
tianity,  and  at  the  same  time  fix  the  love  of  coun 
try  firmly  in  the  mind  of  the  heathen  horde,  the 
Six  Companies  have  inaugurated  a  series  of  pro 
tracted  meetings  of  the  most  approved  fashion ; 
but,  instead  of  the  Bible,  the  law  and  gospel  as 
laid  down  is  taken  direct  from  the  musty  vol 
umes  of  the  great  Confucius.  These  meetings 
were  commenced  three  weeks  ago  at  the  Luk 
San  Fung  Theater,  on  Jackson  Street,  and  are 
now  being  held  every  day  when  the  theater  is  not 
engaged  with  rehearsals  for  the  Chinese  drama. 
The  expounder  of  the  doctrines  of  Confucius  is 
one  Fung  Chee  Pang,  a  man  of  high  standing 
among  the  Chinese  literati,  and  bearing  the  title 
of  Kong  Sung,  equivalent,  probably,  to  D.  D., 
or,  LL.  D.  of  our  degrees.  This  Dr.  Pang,  as 
he  may  be  termed,  has  been  in  the  city  but  a 
short  time,  yet  he  has  succeeded  in  stirring  up 
quite  a  revival  among  the  almond-eyed  horde. 
From  six  hundred  to  one  thousand  people  at 
tend  his  lectures  and  meetings,  and  they  are  said 
to  be  wonderfully  interesting  and  attractive,  not 
withstanding  the  fact  they  are  several  hours  long, 


88  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

lasting  from   eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  until 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon." 

But  now,  look  over  there.  What  is  done  in 
that  curious  place  across  the  way  ?  There  stands 
a  man  at  the  door,  who  seems  to  be  a  watchman, 
or  door-keeper,  though  people  go  in  and  come 
out,  without  paying  entrance  fees.  The  narrow 
hall  or  passage  leads  back  some  six  or  eight 
feet  to  a  thick,  heavy,  plank  door,  with  a  little 
hole  in  it,  and  a  man  peeping  through  the  hole. 
There  is  another  thick  door  before  we  get  into 
the  room,  also  with  a  hole  in  it  and  a  string 
through  the  hole.  In  the  passage-way  a  gas-light 
is  always  burning,  night  and  day.  The  whole 
arrangement  is  very  curious  indeed.  Let  us  look 
at  the  sign  and  see  what  it  says.  Here  are  four 
Chinese  characters  on  a  narrow,  perpendicular 
piece  of  paper: 


Pay  Hoy  Yeah  Yat 

which  translated  into  English,  reads,  "The  gam 
ing  table  is  open  day  and  night."  The  man  at 
the  door  is  to  draw  custom,  and  to  warn  of  ap 
proaching  danger.  The  heavy  doors,  with  great, 
strong  cross-bars,  are  to  obstruct  and  delay  the 
entrance  of  police  detectives  who  may  be  sent  to 
arrest  them.  The  string  pulled  by  the  man  at 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  89 

the  door  gives  warning  to  the  gamblers  inside,  of 
approaching  danger.  Trap  doors  in  the  rear,  or 
openings  in  the  ceiling,  give  opportunity  to  escape. 
We  shall  notice  a  number  of  these  places  on  Jack 
son  and  Dupont  Streets,  and  here  is  an  alley  lead 
ing  from  Jackson  to  Washington  Street,  that  is 
literally  full  of  them.  These  are  all  carried  on 
contrary  to  law,  and  in  the  face  and  eyes  of 
"special  police."  Very  reliable  and  abundant 
Chinese  authority  assures  me  that  the  "specials  " 
receive  five  dollars  a  week  from  each  gambling 
house  for  protecting  them,  and  if  by  any  means 
the  Police  Department  should  order  a  bona  fide 
arrest  and  prosecution  of  these  scamps,  either  the 
"specials,"  or  some  "regular"  in  their  interest 
hastens  to  inform  them  in  time  to  make  their 
escape. 

A  few  months  ago,  in  the  course  of  an  hour, 
I  counted  eighty  of  these  gambling  dens,  and 
then  did  not  count  them  all;  but  8ox$5.oo= 
$400.00  a  week,  or,  $1600.00  a  month.  Besides 
this  weekly  sum,  each  gambling  house  pays  thir 
teen  dollars  a  month  to  certain  persons  supposed 
to  represent  the  "City  Hall,"  whatever  that 
may  be;  80  x  $13  —  $1,040  +  $i,  600  =  $2,640 
monthly  corruption  fee,  paid  by  this  Chinese 
gambling  fraternity.  And  it  is  a  very  humiliat 
ing  fact  that  the  most,  if  not  all  of  this  money 


90  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

is  paid  to  "white  men," — to  persons  who  are 
under  solemn  official  obligations  to  arrest  and 
prosecute  these  criminals.  The  profits  of  the 
gambling  fraternity  must  be  quite  large,  since 
after  paying  so  much  in  bribes  and  high  rents 
they  still  seem  to  get  rich.  The  Chinese  people 
are  passionately  fond  of  gambling,  and  these  vil 
lains  take  advantage  of  this  national  weakness  of 
their  countrymen  to  rob  thousands  of  the  simple- 
minded  laborers  of  a  good  share  of  their  hard- 
earned  wages. 

Of  course  it  is  very  wicked  of  these  "  heathen 
Chinee  "  to  offer  bribes  for  the  purpose  of  tempt 
ing  good  "Christian  people,"  "white  people;" 
but  what  shall  we  say  of  these  "white  Chris 
tians  "  who,  as  officers  of  the  peace  and  good 
conduct  of  a  great  city,  always  carry  an  open 
hand  to  receive  these  bribes  and  protect  the 
criminals.  These  same  men,  their  pockets  lined 
with  bribe  money  which  they  have  eagerly  re 
ceived,  have  been  fierce  in  their  denunciation  of 
the  dishonesty  and  mendacity  of  the  Chinese. 
Well  did  the  Chinese  memorialists  to  President 
Grant  say,  "If  officers  of  this  honorable  govern 
ment  would  refuse  to  take  bribes,  then  unprin 
cipled  Chinamen  could  no  longer  purchase  im 
munity  from  the  punishment  of  their  crimes." 
Since  the  present  excitement  on  the  Chinese  ques- 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  9! 

tion  began,  the  exposure  of  this  bribery  system  has 
been  so  complete  that  a  little  vigor  from  the  ne 
cessity  of  the  case  has  been  shown,  and  many 
of  these  gambling  places  have  been  temporarily 
closed.  I  say  temporarily  closed,  because  only 
a  few  of  these  places  have  been  changed  in  form 
to  make  them  available  for  any  other  purpose 
than  gambling.  The  proprietors,  reasoning  as 
"special  officer"  McKenzie  did,  "Times  are  bad 
just  now,  but  every  business  has  its  dark  hour." 
Both  the  bribers  and  the  bribed  are  evidently 
waiting  for  the  present  excitement  to  die  out, 
when  they  hope  to  reap  another  rich  harvest. 

There  is  one  element  of  this  Chinatown  which 
we  must  leave  for  the  present,  and  devote  the 
whole  of  a  subsequent  chapter  to  a  history  and 
discussion  of  "Chinese  Women  in  America." 

We  ought  not  to  call  our  trip  finished,  how 
ever,  without  calling  at  Chy  Lung's,  on  Sacra 
mento  Street,  between  Montgomery  and  Kear 
ney,  or  at  Chin  Lee's  on  Kearney  Street,  or  at 
King  Tai's  under  the  "Palace  Hotel,"  and  see 
their  wonderful  variety  of  Chinese  Curiosities, 
lacquered  boxes,  vases,  tea-trays,  and  ivory  carv 
ings.  We  will  now  refresh  our  general  impres 
sions  of  the  whole  trip  through  Chinatown  by 
reading  the  following  quotation: 

"The  Street  peculiarities  of  the  'quarter'  are 


92  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

typical  of  its  Mongolian  character.  The  predom 
inating  colors  which  greet  the  eye  are  red  and 
gilt,  most  of  the  signs  and  insignia  of  business 
consisting  of  bright,  red  letters.  These  signs 
read  vertically  instead  of  horizontally,  frequently 
extending  from  the  lintel  to  the  threshold  of  the 
door.  The  sidewalks  on  either  side  are  crowded 
with  stalls  for  the  sale  of  fruit,  sweetmeats,  and 
a  thousand  articles  familiar  only  to  the  Mongolian 
appetite  and  taste.  In  a  space  not  two  feet  wide 
and  three  feet  long,  a  cobbler  finds  room  on  the 
sidewalk  to  carry  on  his  trade.  Every  nook  and 
irregularity  between  doors  and  flanking  entrances 
to  basements  are  occupied  by  cobblers,  tinkers,  ra 
zor-sharpeners,  fruit-sellers,  and  other  '  curb-stone 
merchants.'  Some  of  these  pay  a  small  rental 
for  the  privileges  they  enjoy,  but  many  are  '  free 
tenants.'  During  the  evening  the  leading  streets 
of  the  '  quarter '  are  more  thronged  and  crowded 
by  pedestrians  than  any  other  portion  of  the 
city,  and  yet  they  seem  to  'wire  in  and  wire  out' 
of  each  other's  way  without  serious  inconven 
ience  or  collision.  The  theaters,  the  restaurants, 
the  joss-houses,  and  some  other  buildings  are 
fancifully  decorated  and  illuminated  on  their  bal 
conies  and  upper  stories  during  the  evening,  and 
Chinese  lanterns  of  all  sizes  and  shapes  flutter 
and  flicker  in  front  of  all  public  places." 


SCENES  IN  CHINATOWN.  93 

In  some  parts  of  this  Chinatown  through 
which  we  have  passed  are  underground  cellars, 
where  the  poorest  and  vilest  Chinese  lodge,  pre 
senting  a  most  wretched  and  revolting  sight. 
Our  "special  policemen,"  for  a  consideration, 
are  always  ready  to  take  visitors  through  these 
dens,  to  show  them  "the  Chinese  as  they  are." 
These  good  visitors  go  away  and  write  up  the 
Chinese  in  America,  giving  as  historical  facts 
the  impressions  received  from  such  a  night  ad 
venture,  together  with  the  statements  of  un 
principled,  corrupt  men.  I  protest  against  this 
method  of  studying  the  Chinese  question.  Sup 
pose  the  tables  turned,  and  curious  Chinamen 
escorted  by  some  "kind  and  intelligent  police 
man"  should  make  a  raid  upon  American  bed 
rooms,  about  twelve  or  one  o'clock  at  night, 
solely  for  the  delectation  of  the  Chinamen,  and 
so  that  some  Chinese  correspondent  could  write 
sensational  letters  to  the  Pekin  Gazette.  How 
would  the  shoe  fit  on  that  foot?  One  might  as 
well  write  up  "The  Americans  as  They  Are" 
from  a  visit  to  the  Five  Points  in  New  York. 

In  one  of  these  night  excursions  among  the 
Chinese  dens  of  San  Francisco,  that  came  to  my 
knowledge,  a  "kind,  intelligent,  and  armed  po 
liceman  "  acted  as  a  guide  to  a  party  of  D.  D's. 
and  other  holy  men.  The  policeman  pulled  away 


94  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

the  apology  for  a  curtain  from  before  the  miser 
able  hole  in  which  a  poor  Chinaman  was  peace 
fully  sleeping.  He  then  brought  the  full  glare 
of  his  lamp  upon  the  face  of  the  sleeper,  and 
called  upon  these  good  men  to  see  where  this 
"miserable  cuss  was  sleeping."  The  Chinaman 
feeling  annoyed  naturally  growled  his  dissatisfac 
tion,  whereupon  the  ''kind,  intelligent,  and 
armed  policeman  "  for  the  delectation  of  those 
pious  men,  seized  the  poor  fellow  and  brutally 
pounded  and  punched  his  head  with  his  own 
"kind  and  intelligent"  fist.  How  our  civiliza 
tion  must  shine  in  the  eyes  of  those  poor  under 
ground  Chinamen !  How  degraded  those  Chi 
nese  are !  They  ought  to  be  driven  from  the 
country  to  make  more  room  for  the  white  Chris- 
\tians,  "kind  and  intelligent"  ones! 


THE  CHINESE  AT  WORK.  95 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  CHINAMEN  AT  WORK. 

LET  us  now  look  at  the  Chinamen  in  some 
of  the  various  industries  in  which  they  en 
gage  in  this  country.  And  first,  we  will  look  at 
them  excavating  and  grading  railroads  and  turn 
pikes  over  the  mountains.  In  general,  these 
Chinamen  do  not  seem  to  have  such  brawny 
limbs  and  so  much  physical  vigor  as  the  Irish, 
their  competitors  in  this  kind  of  labor.  The 
Chinaman  does  not  strike  his  pick  with  the  same 
strength  and  vigor,  nor  is  he  quite  so  rapid  in 
his  movements  as  the  Irishman ;  but  what  he 
lacks  in  these  respects  he  largely  compensates 
for  by  his  patient,  constant  toil.  "A  continual 
dropping  will  wear  a  stone,"  and  so  the  China 
man,  by  his  constant,  patient  application  in  this 
kind  of  labor,  brings  about  results  at  the  end  of 
a  week  or  month  quite  or  nearly  equal  to  those 
accomplished  by  his  competitor  of  a  more  viva 
cious  temperament  and  brawny  muscle. 

The  contractors  who  build  these  roads  gener 
ally  testify  that   Chinese   labor   is  more   reliable 


g6  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

than  Irish.  The  Irishman  gets  his  pay  on  Sat 
urday  night,  and  too  often  spends  the  Sabbath 
in  a  drunken  carousal  or  spree,  wasting  his  money 
and  abusing  himself,  so  that  Monday  morning, 
instead  of  being  refreshed  and  full  of  courage 
for  his  work,  finds  him  weary  from  his  debauch 
ery,  bruised  and  sore  from  his  quarreling  and 
fighting,  and  discouraged  by  the  loss  of  all  the 
hard  earnings  of  the  previous  week's  toil. 

The  Chinaman,  on  the  contrary,  spends  the 
Sunday  literally  as  a  day  of  rest;  not  from  any 
regard  to  the  divine  appointment — not  at  all, 
for  he  neither  knows  nor  cares  any  thing  about 
that — but  simply,  not  being  obliged  to  work,  he 
chooses  to  sleep,  and  the  Chinaman  has  a  most 
wonderful  capacity  for  sleeping.  If  wakeful,  he 
sits  round  and  visits,  washes  and  mends  his 
clothing,  or  takes  his  chance  with  a  small  ven 
ture  at  some  improvised  gaming-table.  The  Chi 
nese  are  inveterate  gamblers.  Thus,  Monday 
morning  finds  the  Chinaman  rested  and  ready 
for  his  work.  In  fact,  his  calm,  philosophical 
way  of  laboring  brought  him  round  to  Saturday 
night  without  the  exhaustion  and  wearisomeness 
experienced  by  the  more  impetuous  and  irregu 
lar  Patrick. 

The  Chinaman  also  takes  more  kindly  to  the 
rough  tent  or  camp-life  required  in  this  kind  of 


THE  CHINESE  AT  WORK.  97 

business  than  does  the  Irishman.  Th^China- 
man  knows  better  how  to  live  many  in  small 
quarters.  In  a  little  tent,  ten  by  twelve  feet,  a 
half  dozen  or  more  Chinamen  will  find  abundant 
accommodations  both  for  eating  and  sleeping. 
The  Irishmen  do  n't  get  along  quite  so  well 
when  so  closely  packed.  They  are  liable  to 
tread  on  each  other's  toes,  get  up  a  fight,  and 
disable  some  of  their  number. 

In  woolen  mills  and  other  factories  these  same 
qualities  of  patient  application  and  unvarying 
regularity,  every  man  in  his  place,  give  the  Chi 
naman  the  advantage  in  this  department  of  the 
labor  market.  This  is  especially  true  in  manu 
factories  run  by  steam-power  and  using  much 
machinery,  where,  if  a  man  is  absent  from  his 
place,  there  is  so  much  loss  of  steam-power,  and 
so  much  useless  friction  of  machinery.  '  The 
Chinamen  are  promptly  on  hand,  and  at  their 
place  at  the  proper  time.  If  one  happens  to  be 
sick,  or  necessarily  absent,  the  Chinese  foreman 
quietly  puts  another  man  in  his  place,  and  the 
work  goes  smoothly  on. 

These  qualities  of  the  Chinese  unskilled  la 
borer  make  him  very  acceptable  in  many  of  the 
industries  of  the  Pacific  Coast.  Add  to  these 
qualities  the  fact  that  the  Chinaman  works  a 
little  cheaper  than  the  white  laborer,  and  we  see 

7 


98  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

plainly  how  it  is  that  he  is  in  demand,  and  also 
how  it  is  that  he  is  hated,  maligned,  and  perse 
cuted  by  a  certain  class. 

To  this  day,  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  white  labor 
persistently  insists  upon  a  price  which  capital 
can  not  pay  and  be  able  to  compete  with  East 
ern  importations.  It  is  only  by  the  presence, 
and  by  the  employment  to  some  extent,  of  the 
Chinese  that  any  manufacturing  at  all  can  be 
done  in  California.  And  with  all  the  hue  and 
cry  raised  against  Chinese  cheap  labor,  because 
it  drives  white  men  from  employment  and  ruins 
the  country,  the  stubborn  fact  still  remains,  that 
California,  with  unusual  facilities  for  manufactur 
ing  industries,  can  not,  as  yet,  to  any  extent, 
even  by  employing  Chinese  labor,  send  her  pro 
ducts  East  and  compete  with  Eastern  manufacto 
ries  on  their  own  ground. 

The  constant  genial  climate  of  California,  her 
prolific  soil,  her  endless  variety  and  great  abun 
dance  of  cereals  and  fruits,  and  her  extensive  sea- 
coast,  ought  to  make  her  one  of  the  great  man 
ufacturing  States  of  the  Union ;  but  up  to  this 
date  the  price  of  labor  discourages  capital  from 
investing  in  extensive  manufacturing  enterprises. 
As  has  already  been  stated  in  a  previous  chapter, 
on  fruit  ranches,  and  farms  also,  the  Chinamen 
are  the  successful  competitors  of  the  whites. 


THE  CHINESE  AT  WORK  99 

The  fact  is,  our  white  laborers  do  n't  like  the  busi 
ness  of  stooping  and  squatting  on  their  haunches 
all  day  picking  berries,  grapes,  and  currants. 

The  most  of  them  can  find  employment  that 
suits   them   better  and  yields  them  better  pay. 
Only  a  few  days  since,  I  overheard  a   company 
of  large  farmers,  or  ranch  men,  talking  together    , 
over  this  very  matter. 

One  of  them  said,  "The  fact  is,  I  can  not  get 
white  labor  to  do  this  kind  of  work ;  I  must  em-' 
ploy  Chinamen  or  give  up."  Another  said,  he  <3p<c> 
had  just  the  same  difficulty  in  hoeing  or  weed 
ing.  White  men  seemed  to  be  possessed  of  a 
notion  that  such  work  was  more  servile  than  some 
other,  and  so  were  reluctant  to  engage  in  it. 
But  the  Chinaman,  calm  and  philosophic,  takes 
kindly  and  naturally  to  the  stooping  and  squat 
ting  position  required  in  this « kind  of  light  man 
ual  labor. 

Chinese  laborers  are  also  more  easily  man 
aged  than  others.  To  every  gang  of  China  work 
men  there  is  a  head  man  or  "boss,"  who  alone 
is  responsible  to  the  employer  or  "big  boss,"  as 
they  call  him.  If  some  individual  workman  does 
not  suit  the  employer,  he  simply  tells  the  "  China 
boss,"  and  the  man  is  changed  without  further 
trouble,  or  else  is  so  much  improved  as  to  make 
him  acceptable. 


ICO  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Of  course  a  raw  Chinaman  is  extremely  awk 
ward  at  first  in  handling  American  tools,  and  in 
doing  things  in  an  American  way.  But  never  yet 
was  a  Chinaman  so  awkward  in  these  things  as  a 
raw  recruit  from  the  bogs  of  Ireland.  Show  the 
Chinaman  what  you  wish  him  to  do,  give  him  a 
few  practical  illustrations,  and  in  nine  cases  out 
of  ten  he  will  do  as  you  have  shown  him. 

A  gentleman  residing  in  San  Francisco  lately 
visiting  his  ranch  in  the  country  found  the  China 
men  walking  the  horses  so  slowly  in  plowing 
that  they  hardly  seemed  to  move.  So  he  him 
self  took  one  team  and  held  the  plow  across  the 
field,  making  the  horses  walk  quite  briskly.  The 
Chinamen  stood  by  and  watched  the  perform 
ance,  and  one  of  them  remarked,  in  his  broken, 
but  rather  expressive  "pigeon  English,"  "Him 
heap  shove  them  hoss.  Who  him  be?"  The 
"China  boss"  answered,  "Him  big  boss."  After 
that  all  the  horses  walked  faster. 

Let  us  now  visit  a  Chinese  laundry,  and  see 
how  they  wash  our  clothes.  You  will  find  a 
China  wash-house  almost  anywhere  in  Califor 
nia.  In  the  wash-room  you  will  find  barrels, 
tubs,  or  troughs  of  water,  and  a  high,  wide  bench 
or  narrow  table.  The  wash-man  seizes  one  end 
of  a  saturated  garment,  a  linen  shirt,  a  woolen 
wrapper,  a  pair  of  pantaloons,  or  a  lady's  skirt, 


THE  CHINESE  AT  WORK.  IOI 

"all  the  same"  to  him,  and  begins  to  pound  the 
table  most  vigorously ;  this  is  the  way  the  China 
man  likes  to  wash.  It  suits  him  best,  however, 
to  go  to  some  stream  or  pond ;  the  quality  of  the 
water  is  a  secondary  consideration,  the  only  ques 
tion  being,  is  it  wet?  In  such  a  place  the  China 
wash-man  is  in  his  glory.  He  pounds  the  near 
est  stump,  log,  or  jagged  rock,  until  he  has 
pounded  all  the  buttons  off,  and  pounded  numer 
ous  holes  and  rents  in  the  garment. 

Some  of  these  Chinese  laundry-men  have 
learned  to  separate  woolen  from  cotton  clothes 
in  washing  and  boiling,  and  to  wash  by  rubbing 
instead  of  pounding.  Often,  however,  the  China 
wash-man  destroys  more  value  of  clothing  than 
the  price  he  receives  for  washing.  They  also 
use  an  enormous  amount  of  starch  and  bluing, 
so  that  when  first  home  from  the  wash  the  clothes 
look  quite  nice;  but  one  day's  wear  often  reveals 
the  disagreeable  fact  that  the  clirt  was  neither 
rubbed  nor  pounded  out,  but  simply  covered  up 
with  starch  and  bluing.  There  is  also  generally 
a  peculiarly  disagreeable  smell  to  clothes  from  a 
" Chinese  wash-house." 

I  know  one  lady,  who  has  spent  many  years 
among  the  Chinese,  both  in  China  and  in  Califor 
nia,  and  yet  she  can  not  endure  the  smell  of 
clothes  from  a  ''China  wash-house."  Their 


102  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

method  of  sprinkling  is  a  novelty  and  a  surprise 
to  an  American  who  has  never  seen  nor  heard 
of  the  process.  Look  at  that  man  filling  his 
mouth  with  water  from  that  large  bowl ;  now  he 
opens  that  calico  dress  and  blows  upon  it  from 
his  mouth  a  fine,  beautiful  spray,  moistening  it 
so  evenly  as  no  other  process  could  do.  Some 
very  particular  ladies,  however,  do  not  approve 
of  the  method.  It  has  been  told  that  in  the 
kitchen  the  China  cook  sometimes  moistens  the 
dough  in  the  same  way  ;  but  such  stories  must 
be  recorded  with  that  of  the  Phi-ladelphia  Bridget, 
who  prepared  most  excellent  hash  by  munching 
it  in  her  mouth.  Both  stories  may  be  true,  the 
one  quite  as  probable  as  the  other. 

But  in  spite  of  all  objections,  as  fast  as  the 
Chinamen  learn  in  good  faith  to  adopt  our  system 
of  rubbing  and  boiling  clothes,  they  succeed  in 
getting  a  fair  proportion  of  American  custom, 
and  give  very  good  satisfaction.  In  San  Fran 
cisco,  Oakland,  and  Alameda,  we  shall  find  what 
is  styled  "The  White  Man's  Laundry,"  which 
claims  the  patronage  of  those  who  wish  to  en 
courage  white  labor  and  discourage  Chinese  im 
migration.  They  ask  a  little  higher  price  than 
the  average  Chinaman,  and  yet  they  get  a  good 
deal  of  patronage.  There  is  one  little  draw 
back,  however,  to  some  of  these  "White  Man's 


THE  CHINESE  AT  WORK.  103 

Laundries,"  that  is,  when  we  happen  to  visit 
them  we  find,  in  most  cases,  the  Chinamen  are 
employed  to  do  the  work.  A  company  of 
"white  men"  own  and  control  the  business,  a 
"white  man"  drives  the  "white  man's  laundry 
wagon,"  and  a  white  boss  superintends  the  work 
men,  but  the  Chinese  do  the  washing1.  This 
same  game  is  played  in  other  departments  of  in 
dustry. 

What  is  boldly  labeled,  "Home  Manufacture — 
No  Chinese  Employed,"  etc.,  is  frequently  the 
very  article  which  Chinamen  have  manufactured. 
For  instance,  the  mouth  end  of  the  fine  Havana 
cigars,  sold  at  a  high  price,  and  sucked  with  such 
exquisite  enjoyment  by  the  high-toned  gentle 
men  of  the  "Anti-Chinese  League,"  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten  was  manipulated  by  Chinese 
fingers  and  moistened  with  Chinese  saliva.  If 
any  contagious  disease  is  imparted  by  the  Chi 
nese  to  the  white  people  of  this  country,  there 
can  be  but  little  doubt  that  it  comes  off  from  the 
dirty,  diseased  fingers,  moistened  with  the  dis 
eased  saliva  of  some  diseased  Chinaman,  right 
directly  to  the  mouth  and  tongue  and  palate  of 
our  cigar  smoker. 

But  how  often  is  it  asked,  "What  kind  of 
house-servants  do  the  Chinese  make?"  Who 
shall  answer  ?  Here  is  a  man  who  declares,  from 


IO4  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

personal  knowledge  and  experience,  that  the  Chi 
nese  are  the  most  filthy,  mendacious,  thieving, 
unreliable  class  of  house-servants  in  all  the  world. 
In  his  family,  at  different  times,  a  trial  has  been 
made  of  Chinese  servants;  but  they  have  been 
so  filthy  that  they  could  not  be  endured,  so  cov 
ered  with  vermin  as  to  drop  a  stray  waif,  here 
and  there,  on  the  children's  clothing,  or  on  the 
bed  when  attending  to  the  chamber  work. 

Now,  while  I  do  not  believe  that  the  Chinese 
house-servants  as  a  class  are  more  filthy  than 
many  white  and  colored  servants,  I  have  no  doubt 
whatever  that  our  witness  has  told  the  truth  as 
to  the  experience  of  his  family  in  employing  Chi 
nese  servants.  Many  have  had  a  similar  experi 
ence.  But,  unfortunately,  his  specifications  will 
not  sustain  the  charge,  because  in  the  class  of 
house-servants  of  all  nations,  are  to  be  found 
some  equally  as  bad  as  these  Chinese  who  have 
been  testified  against.  Call  up  another  witness. 
Here  is  a  family  equally  respectable  with  the  one 
on  the  stand.  Both  husband  and  wife  unite  in 
saying  that  they  have  tried  all  sorts,  and  have 
found  Chinese  servants,  on  the  whole,  the  most 
satisfactory.  They  have  employed  different  ones 
during  the  past  few  years,  and  have  never  had 
such  a  filthy  one  as  mentioned  by  our  first  wit 
ness.  Nor  have  they  been  troubled  as  in  the 


THE  CHINESE  AT  WORK.  IO5 

former  case  by  their  reputed  lying  tendencies  and 
thieving  proclivities. 

Here  comes  our  third  and  last  witness,  who 
says  that  in  his  family  they  have  tried  persons  of 
all  classes,  colors,  and  languages  as  house-servants, 
and  have  found  in  all  classes  some  good  and  some 
bad  ones.  Not  every  "John  Chinaman"  is  a 
desirable  house  servant.  Not  every  "Biddy" 
is  a  detestable  one.  If  any  family  is  so  uncom 
monly  fortunate  as  to  have  secured  the  services 
of  an  honest,  clean,  respectable  house-servant, 
be  it  Jew  or  Gentile,  Christian  or  heathen,  Mex 
ican  or  negro,  Chinaman  or  white  man,  they  will 
be  wise  to  make  no  rash  changes  in  hopes  of 
getting  a  better  one.  Such  is  the  opinion  of 
this  little  book. 

A  good  Chinese  house-servant  is  a  great  com 
fort  in  the  family,  but  a  filthy  one,  a  generally 
mendacious  one,  a  thieving  one,  is  a  nuisance. 
The  only  way  to  get  a  good  one  is  promptly  to 
dismiss  every  one  as  fast  as  he  develops  objec 
tionable  qualities  of  sufficient  gravity  to  make 
cause  for  dismissal.  As  soon  as  the  employment 
agent  finds  out  that  you  will  not  be  trifled  with, 
nor  imposed  upon,  he  will  do  his  best  to  furnish 
you  a  good  servant.  If  it  were  true  that  the  Chi 
nese  house-servants  are  such  an  infamous  class  as 
they  are  sometimes  represented  to  be,  it  would 


IO6  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

seem  very  strange  indeed  that  three  thousand  five 
hundred  of  them  should  constantly  find  employ 
ment  in  the  families  of  San  Francisco. 

The  wages  paid  these  Chinamen  is  fully  equal, 
if  not  in  advance,  of  what  is  paid  in  Philadel 
phia,  New  York,  or  Boston  to  white  or  colored 
servants  for  the  same  grade  of  service.  In  the 
matter  of  house-servants,  as  in  all  other  matters, 
people  generally  get,  or  at  least  endeavor  to  get, 
the  best  that  their  money  will  buy  in  the  market. 
If  the  Chinese  were  the  only  good  servants  or 
even  if  Chinese  servants  were  uniformly  clean  and 
trusty,  twice  three  thousand  five  hundred  could 
find  employment  in  the  city  of  San  Francisco 
alone.  But  if  three  thousand  families  in  San  Fran 
cisco  employ  Chinese  servants,  it  is  simply  and 
only  because,  for  the  wages  they  can  afford  to  pay, 
they  get  better  service  than  they  can  obtain  from 
white  or  colored  servants.  A  Chinese  boy  soon 
learns  to  cook,  wash,  and  iron.  He  can  do  up  the 
work  in  the  chambers.  He  can  take  up  a  car 
pet,  shake  it  and  put  it  down  again,  clean  win 
dows,  wash  down  the  front  steps.  He  can  bring 
in  the  coal  and  split  his  own  kindlings,  and  often 
is  excellent  in  the  care  of  small  children.  Some 
of  these  things  a  white  or  colored  servant  might 
object  to.  These  Chinamen,  however,  like  others 
of  the  same  class,  are  often  exceedingly  trouble- 


THE  CHINESE  AT  WORK.  ID/ 

some  and  provoking.  The  lady  of  the  house  calls 
a  green  boy  just  from  China,  who  neither  knows 
how  to  do  her  work  nor  can  understand  any 
thing  she  tells  him.  She  patiently  and  carefully 
teaches  him  to  do  her  house-work  after  her  own 
way,  hoping  and  expecting  to  keep  him  a  long 
time.  She  teaches  him  to  speak  and  read,  and 
pays  him  wages  all  the  time,  because  she  expects 
he  will  continue  with  her  at  moderate  wages 
after  he  becomes  of  some  use.  But  no  sooner  is 
he  able  to  do  her  work  without  her  constant  pres 
ence  in  the  kitchen  than  he  strikes  for  the  high 
est  wages  which  his  now  skilled  labor  can  com 
mand  in  the  market.  The  good  woman  is  not 
able  to  pay  the  price,  and  the  boy  makes  off 
without  the  least  apparent  gratitude  for  all  that 
has  been  done  for  him. 

And  the  cry  against  the  Chinamen,  because  in 
family  service  they  are  underbidding  white  labor 
can  not  be  considered  worthy  of  much  attention, 
when  it  is  known  that  there  has  never  been  a 
time  in  California  when  a  wholesome,  capable 
white  person,  willing  to  do  house-work,  could 
not  readily  find  employment  at  better  wages  than 
they  could  command  in  the  Eastern  States  for 
the  same  labor. 

In  reclaiming  tule  and  swamp  lands,  a  vast 
amount  of  which  work  is  yet  to  be  done  in 


. 

IO8  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

California,  the  Chinese  are  exceedingly  useful. 
No  other  people  among  us  seem  so  well  adapted 
to  this  kind  of  labor.  They  are  accustomed  to 
ditching  and  irrigating  the  paddy  fields  of  China, 
and  toil  patiently  and  cheerfully  in  the  water 
and  mud  of  the  tule  swamps  of  California,  where 
all  other  laborers  refuse  to  work.  Already  their 
labor  has  reclaimed  thousands  of  acres  of  these 
lands,  which  now  are  among  the  most  productive 
parts  of  this  most  productive  State.  For  the 
cultivation  of  tea,  rice,  cotton,  vegetables,  and 
fruits,  for  which  the  soil  and  climate  of  parts  of 
California  are  well  adapted,  the  Chinese  furnish 
the  most  available,  reliable,  and  satisfactory  labor. 

There  is  one  kind  of  unskilled  labor  in  which 
the  Chinamen  are  not  permitted  to  compete;  that 
is,  grading  and  paving  streets.  This  kind  of  la 
bor  furnishes  employment  for  a  large  army  of 
workmen  in  San  Francisco:  but  this  work  is 
under  municipal  control,  and  it  seems  to  be  the 
policy  to  employ  only  those  who  are  voters,  or 
expect  soon  to  be  voters !  ! 

The  Chinese  do  nothing  in  the  line  of  house 
building,  either  in  San  Francisco  or  in  any  of 
the  principal  towns  of  the  State.  It  ought  not 
to  be  forgotten,  however,  that  the  first  granite 
block  of  any  pretensions  erected  in  San  Fran 
cisco  was  built  of  blocks  prepared  in  China, 


THE  CHINESE  AT  WORK.  109 

shipped  to  San  Francisco,  and  put  up  altogether 
by  Chinese  labor,  in  1852, — known  as  Parrott's 
Block,  corner  of  Montgomery  and  California 
Streets,  and  occupied  till  the  present  time  by 
Wells  and  Fargo's  Express  Company. 

These  Chinese  laborers  seem  to  have  a  won 
derful  faculty  or  ability  to  change  from  one  kind 
of  industry  to  another.  Although  every  man 
prefers  to  stick  to  his  own  trade,  and  will  always 
do  so  as  long  as  he  can  get  employment,  yet,  if 
a  shirt-maker  fails  to  get  a  job  in  his  own  line 
he  is  not  discouraged  at  the  idea  of  learning  to 
make  cigars  or  shoes.  And  there  is  one  feature 
of  this  unskilled  Chinese  labor  worthy  of  notice, 
that  is,  the  tendency  in  these  Chinese  workmen 
to  improve,  and  to  advance  from  unskilled  to 
skilled  labor.  The  Chinamen,  who  at  first  made 
only  second-rate  cigars,  now  make  the  very  best 
of  "  Imported  Havanas."  The  Chinamen,  who 
at  first  made  only  coarse  slippers,  now  make  very 
good  ladies'  boots  and  shoes.  Those  who  at  first 
only  made  coarse  overalls,  now  make  gentlemen's 
fine  shirts  and  ladies'  underwear.  The  Chinamen 
generally,  who  have  not  been  accustomed  to  se 
vere  manual  labor,  have  remarkably  soft  hands, 
and  a  very  fine  sense  of  touch,  and,  without 
doubt,  erelong  will  compete  with  Europeans  in 
the  manufacture  of  watches  and  clocks. 


I IO  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Competition  among  the  children  of  men  is 
healthy  and  inspiring,  and  tends  to  development 
and  improvement.  If  the  Chinese  are  the  in 
ferior  race,  which  they  are  constantly  represented 
to  be — if  they  lack  in  capabilities  of  brain  power, 
moral  restraints,  physical  endurance,  or  enter 
prising  industry,  the  superior  race  in  all  these 
qualities  certainly  has  no  cause  to  fear  their  com 
petition.  Brains  rule  the  world,  and  always  will. 
The  higher  the  moral  standard  the  greater  the  se 
curity  and  happiness  of  the  people.  Christianized 
Anglo-Saxon  brain  and  muscle,  enterprise  and  in 
dustry,  need  not  shrink  from  a  healthy  competition 
with  any  branch  of  the  human  family,  and  espe 
cially  need  not  fear  to  compete  with  heathen  indo 
lence  and  apathy.  But  if  the  Chinese  are  simply 
our  equate  in  intellectual  and  moral  capabilities, 
in  push  and  enterprise,  then  the  competition  is 
fair  and  healthy  on  both  sides.  If  they  are  su 
perior,  which  I  do  not  believe,  then  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  will  have  a  chance  to  improve  by  contact 
and  assimilation. 


PAGAN  AND  CHRISTIAN.  Ill 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    CONTACT    OF   A    PAGAN   WITH    A  CHRISTIAN   CIV 
ILIZATION    ON    CHRISTIAN    SOIL. 

ONE  of  the  first  results  which  we  notice  in 
this  contact  of  the  two  civilizations  is,  that 
the  Pagans  learn  the  Christian  language — the 
Americans  do  not  learn  the  Chinese.  The  En 
glish  language  is  eminently  the  language  of  intel 
lectual  power  and  activity — the  language  of  Chris 
tian  evangelization.  The  heathen  who,  living  in 
England  or  America,  learns  to  understand  and 
to  speak  the  English  language  can  never  be  the 
same  heathen  that  he  was  before.  A  door  has 
been  opened  into  the  shady  chambers  of  his 
mind  and  soul  which,  whether  he  wills  or  not, 
lets  in  a  constant  stream  of  intellectual  light  and 
spiritual  life.  Our  whole  language,  to  the  pagan, 
is  full  of  new  thoughts.  It  is  the  language  of 
progress,  the  language  of  inventions,  of  investi 
gation,  and  of  discovery.  It  is  the  language  of 
civil  liberty  and  equal  rights.  It  is  a  language 
richly  freighted  with  Christian  faith  and  hope ;  a 
language  full  of  Christian  songs  and  prayers  and 


112  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

experiences.  A  people,  who,  to  any  considerable 
extent,  learn  to  use  the  English  language  in  this 
acre  of  the  world,  no  matter  how  stagnant  the 

t>  o 

civilization  to  which  they  have  belonged,  will  of 
necessity,  by  the  power  of  the  new  ideas  with 
which  the  language  is  filled,  be  aroused  to  intel 
lectual  activity,  to  a  higher  and  better  culture, 
and  to  a  new  spiritual  life. 

And  the  Chinese  in  America  are  learning  this 
language.  It  has  been  charged  that  they  are  not, 
but  let  us  see.  In  San  Francisco  alone  are  some 
three  thousand  five  hundred  Chinese  doing  house- 
service,  in  daily  contact  with  Christian  families, 
and  especially  in  contact  with  the  best  moral 
forces  of  our  civilization, — the  women  and  chil 
dren  of  these  families.  The  Chinese  in  San  Fran 
cisco  are  only  about  one-fifth  of  all  the  Chinese 
in  America,  so  that  in  the  same  ratio  we  may 
reckon  that  there  are  over  twelve  thousand  Chi 
nese,  in  America,  learning  the  language  and  cus 
toms,  the  morals  and  religion  of  this  Christian 
civilization  directly  from  those  who  are  its  real 
and  practical  exponents.  The  homes  of  our 
Christian  civilization  have  thus  an  opportunity  to 
make  their  impression  upon  the  heathen  among 
us.  In  these  homes  the  Chinese  can,  and  do 
learn  to  honor  and  respect  woman, — mothers, 
wives,  sisters  and  daughters, — as  heathen  nations 


PAGAN  AND  CHRISTIAN.  113 

never  do.  The  national  conceit,  the  early  edu 
cation,  and  the  terrible  prejudices  of  the  Chinese, 
may  prevent  any  very  rapid  change  in  their  sen 
timents  and  general  conduct,  but  impressions  are 
made  and  ideas  are  planted  which  do  take  root 
and  grow ;  and,  all  unknown  to  themselves,  con 
stant  and  great  changes  are  taking  place  in  the 
mind  and  thoughts  of  these  Chinamen. 

There  is  an  extensive  commerce  carried  on 
all  over  our  western  coast  between  these  Chinese 
and  the  white  people.  This  is  all  done  through 
the  medium  of  the  English  language:  our  mer 
chants  do  not  try  to  learn  the  Chinese  language, 
but  the  Chinese  try  to  learn  ours.  True,  they 
mostly  speak  our  language  in  a  Chinese  idiom, 
but  they  learn  our  ideas  and  our  thoughts,  for 
the  spirit  and  tone  of  our  civilization  breathe 
out  in  our  language.  Though  on  the  streets  of 
Chinatown  in  San  Francisco  not  one  Chinaman 
in  ten  can  understand  or  speak  a  word  of  En 
glish,  still  you  can  hardly  go  into  a  shop  or  store 
in  which  you  will  not  find  one  or  two  who  can 
converse  more  or  less  in  our  language.  Many 
of  the  stores  employ  an  English  teacher  for  the 
young  persons  of  their  firms,  and  all  over  the 
Pacific  Coast  are  thousands  of  these  Chinese  of 
all  ages,  who  throng  the  mission  evening  schools 
and  Sunday-schools  of  all  the  Christian  Churches 


1 14  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

opened  for  the  express  purpose  of  teaching  these 
Chinese  our  language  and  our  religion.  Now, 
while  it  must  be  admitted  and  regretted  that 
many  of  the  Chinese  also  learn  our  language  from 
the  vicious,  the  immoral,  and  the  profane,  yet, 
at  the  same  time,  the  language  does  open  a  door 
into  their  minds  through  which  moral  precepts 
and  a  higher  intelligence  may  find  access.  Thus 
in  the  contact  of  the  two  civilizations  in  this 
country,  in  the  matter  of  language,  we  have  all 
the  advantage,  and  this  advantage  is  of  vital  im 
portance.  The  heathen  mind,  nolens  volcns,  must 
drink  in  the  spirit  and  genius  of  our  civilization 
while  acquiring  the  knowledge  of  our  language 
and  of  our  commercial  and  industrial  enterprises. 
But  we,  rejecting  his  language,  remain  compara 
tively  unaffected  by  his  superstitions  and  fossil 
ized  ideas. 

The  Chinese  are  affected  by  their  contact  with 
our  religious  institutions.  Although  California, 
perhaps,  is  not  the  best  representative  of  Chris 
tian  institutions  in  America;  although  Sunday 
beer-gardens,  whisky-saloons,  public  processions 
and  picnics  on  the  Sabbath  are  all  too  common ; 
yet  Christian  institutions,  the  Sabbath  and  its 
religious  services  and  observance  by  the  best  class 
of  our  people,  have  a  powerful  and  healthy  effect 
on  the  civilization  of  the  State.  And  this  influ- 


PAGAN  AND  CHRISTIAN.  115 

ence  is  felt  by  the  Chinese.  This  opens  their 
eyes  and  enables  them  very  soon  to  discriminate 
between  church-going  and  non-church-going  peo 
ple,  and,  it  is  needless  to  say,  that  the  discrimi 
nation  is  almost  always  in  favor  of  the  church- 
going  people.  Although  to  the  Chinaman  the 
Sabbath  is  not  a  holy  and  sacred  day,  yet  he 
soon  finds  it  very  convenient  to  be  free  from 
service  on  that  day,  and  comes  to  look  forward 
to  it  in  some  sort  as  a  day  of  rest. 

The  universal  recognition  of  one  Supreme 
God  by  all  classes  of  people,  the  churches  erected 
for  his  service,  the  general  absence  of  idolatry 
in  our  religious  faith  and  worship,  make  inefface 
able  impressions  upon  the  heathen's  mind.  He 
may  not  openly  confess  to  any  infidelity  to  his 
idols — though  thousands  do  make  such  confes 
sions.  He  may  not  seem  to  us  to  regard  with 
the  least  favor  the  monotheistic  faith  of  this  na 
tion,  but  in  spite  of  himself,  his  faith  in  his 
wooden,  tinseled  gods  is  impaired;  and  the  fact 
that  positive  Christians  have  always  proved  his 
truest  and  most  reliable  friends  in  times  of  trouble 
leads  him  to  put  confidence  in  a  "Jesus  man" 
sooner  than  in  any  other  class  of  men  in  the  world. 

These  Chinese  travel  on  our  steamers  and 
railroads ;  they  send  letters  by  our  mails,  and 
messages  over  our  telegraph  lines.  A  people 


Il6  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

who  live  in  contact  with  all  these  things  for  a  se 
ries  of  years, — a  people,  thousands  of  whom  are 
daily  traveling  on  some  of  the  public  convey 
ances  of  this  land,  and  who  are  daily  sending 
thousands  of  letters  and  messages  by  our  mails 
and  telegraph  lines,  can  not  ever  again  be  satis 
fied  with  the  slow,  clumsy,  and  uncomfortable 
modes  of  travel,  and  the  imperfect  postal  facili 
ties  which  prevailed  a  thousand  years  ago.  In 
all  these  things  the  old  decaying  civilization  is 
beginning  to  feel  the  throbbings  of  a  new  life, 
the  result  of  this  general  contact  with  a  higher 
and  more  progressive  civilzation. 

It  is  true  that  in  matters  of  dress  the  Chi 
nese  in  America  do  not  as  yet,  to  any  consider 
able  extent,  adopt  our  fashions.  But  we  must 
remember  it  is  contrary  to  the  genius  of  the  Chi 
nese  civilization  to  tolerate  such  frequent  and 
radical  changes  in  these  things  as  prevail  in  Eu 
rope  and  America.  In  China  the  cut  of  a  lady's 
or  gentleman's  clothing  has  not  changed  for  hun 
dreds  of  years.  Having  long  since  adopted  a 
fashion  which  to  them  is  at  once  modest  and 
comfortable,  convenient  and  economical,  they 
have  never  thought  of  changing.  They  dress 
now  just  as  their  ancestors  dressed  generations 
ago,  and  it  would  be  considered  unfilial,  not  to 
say  impious,  to  dress  in  any  other  way.  With 


PAGAN  AND  CHRISTIAN.  Ii; 

us  it  is  quite  the  reverse  of  all  this.  Our  civili 
zation  not  only  tolerates  but  encourages  change. 
Compare  the  dress  of  an  American  of  to-day 
with  the  dress  of  our  ancestors  a  hundred  years 
ago.  The  trousers,  stockings,  and  knee-buckles 
worn  in  the  days  of  Washington  were  nearly  of 
the  same  pattern  as  those  worn  by  the  Chinese 
at  that  time  and  worn  by  the  Chinese  now,  the 
principal  difference  being  that  the  Chinese  wear 
silk  garters  instead  of  knee-buckles.  Should  the 
Americans  now  adopt  the  style  of  pantaloons 
worn  in  this  country  one  hundred  years  ago,  the 
Chinese  would  not  have  to  change  much  to  be  in 
fashion.  But,  in  spite  of  their  disinclination  to 
change,  the  Chinese  in  America  have  already, 
and  to  a  great  extent,  adopted  a  part  of  our 
fashion  of  dress.  Our  felt  hats  are  generally 
worn  by  them.  Most  of  those  who  have  been  in 
the  country  any  considerable  time  have  adopted 
our  style  of  pantaloons,  and  many  of  them  wear 
our  boots  and  shoes.  Thus  rigged, — that  is,  with 
shirt,  vest,  and  coat  of  Chinese  pattern ;  hat, 
pants,  boots,  and  socks  of  American  fashion, — the 
Chinaman,  according  to  Bishop  Kingsley,  needs 
only  to  cut  off  his  cue,  wear  his  hair  like  an 
American,  and  put  a  collar  to  his  white  shirt,  in 
order  to  be  the  most  sensibly  dressed  man  in  the 
world.  If  the  Chinaman's  coat  and  vest  are  an 


IlS  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

improvement  upon  our  own,  there  is  good  reason 
why  he  should  not  change. 

The  shaven  head  and  braided  cue,  which  the 
Chinaman  insists  upon  wearing  wherever  he  goes, 
is  the  wide  distinction  between  his  fashion  of 
dress  and  that  of  an  American.  This  custom  is 
no  badge  or  mark  of  religious  faith  or  worship, 
but  it  is  a  badge  or  token  of  citizenship  or  loy 
alty  to  the  reigning  Chinese  dynasty.  Shun  Chi, 
the  first  Emperor  of  the  present  Tartar  dynasty, 
who  came  to  the  throne  in  A.  D.  1644,  issued  a 
proclamation  throughout  the  land  requiring  all 
the  people  to  adopt  this  Tartar  custom  of  shav 
ing  the  front  part  of  the  head  and  braiding  the 
rest  of  the  hair  into  a  cue,  as  a  sign  of  submission. 
There  was  no  compulsion,  however.  Persons 
who  did  not  like  the  innovation  were  at  liberty 
to  refuse  compliance,  the  penalty  being  simply 
the  loss  of  their  heads.  In  some  parts  of  the 
Empire  this  mandate  was  stoutly  resisted,  and 
many  actually  chose  to  lose  their  heads  rather 
than  adopt  the  new  costume.  Gradually,  how 
ever,  the  people  accepted  the  situation,  and  now, 
for  more  than  two  centuries  it  has  become  a  fixed 
and  acceptable  fashion  in  all  the  Empire. 

Under  similar  circumstances  probably  the  Amer 
icans  would  have  adopted  the  same  costume. 
And,  indeed,  only  a  hundred  years  ago,  the  gen- 


PAGAN  AND  CHRSTIAN.  1  19 

tlemen  of  quality  and  fashion  in  America,  without 
official  mandate,  adopted  and  -wore  the  cue.  And, 
since  the  Americans  have  shaken  off  their  cues 
during  the  first  one  hundred  years  of  our  national 
life,  perhaps  the  Chinese  in  America  may  shake 
off  theirs  during  the  next  one  hundred  years.  Or, 
if  their  influence  is  stronger  than  ours,  they  may 
induce  us  to  go  back  and  put  our  cues  on  again. 
This  custom,  though  of  itself  a  very  small  sim 
ple  matter,  does  more  to  keep  the  Chinaman 
from  adopting  our  forms  of  civilization  than  any 
thing  else,  simply  because  it  always  keeps  him  a 
Chinaman.  So  long  as  he  holds  on  to  this  custom, 
just  so  long  will  he  persistently  cling  to  all  his 
other  national  characteristics.  He  may  change 
somewhat  in  thought  and  feeling  and  character, 
but  the  change  will  be  slow  and  always  in  spite 
of  himself.  So  long  as  that  cue  dangles  down 
his  back  and  about  his  heels,  or  is  twisted  around 
his  head,  so  long  he  carries  with  him  a  proud 
consciousness  that  he  is  a  subject  of  "The  Great 
Flowery  Middle  Kingdom,"  and.  .his  universal 
answer  to  every  new  idea  presented  to  his  mind 
is,  ''Our  Chinese  custom  is  not  so."  When  he 
cuts  off  his  cue,  by  that  act  he  in  some  sort  de 
nationalizes  himself,  and  cuts  loose  from  his  serv 
itude  to  his  national  customs,  and  feels  free  to 
adopt  at  once  any  new  thing  or  idea  that  com- 


120  THE  CHINESE    IN  AMERICA. 

mends  itself  to  his  judgment.  But  since  the 
Chinaman  may  not  be  admitted  to  the  right  of 
suffrage  in  this  country,  when  he  cuts  off  his  cue 
and  denationalizes  himself  he  becomes  a  waif, 
in  the  world,  without  a  people  and  without  a 
country.  His  own  countrymen  taboo  and  scorn 
him,  and  American  society  is  rather  slow  to 
adopt  him.  He  has  cut  loose  from  China,  and 
is  not  admitted  to  the  full  rights  of  citizen 
ship  here. 

But  if  every  Chinaman  who  should  acquire  a 
fair  knowledge  of  our  language,  our  Government 
and  its  institutions;  who  would  adopt  our  customs 
of  dress  and  modes  of  life,  and  who  would  take 
the  oath  of  allegiance,— if  every  such  Chinaman 
might  be  admitted  to  the  right  of  suffrage  and 
be  invested  with  all  the  privileges  and  immuni 
ties  of  American  citizens,  thousands  of  them 
would  quickly  and  gladly  embrace  the  opportu 
nity.  Such  a  regulation,  if  possible  to  be  made, 
might  not  be  dangerous;  but  to  open  the  ballot 
indiscriminately  to  Asiatic  immigrants,  as  we 
most  unfortunately  have  done  to  European  im 
migrants,  would  soon  complete  the  national  ruin 
which  our  present  vicious  system  of  suffrage  now 
threatens.  Unfortunately  for  the  prosperity  and 
perpetuity  of  our  free  institutions,  in  placing  our 
few  legal  restrictions  around  the  ballot  box,  we 


PAGAN  AND  CHRSTIAN.  121 

seem  to  have  forgotten  the  essential  qualifica 
tions  of  good  voters;  namely,  intelligence,  so 
briety,  and  virtue.  The  only  necessary  legal  qual 
ifications  for  voters  in  our  country  at  the  present 
time  are  three:  first,  a  human  animal;  second, 
the  human  animal  must  be  twenty-one  years  old; 
third,  the  human  animal  must  be  of  the  mascu 
line  gender,  Chinamen  and  Indians  excepted. 
There  are  no  other  limitations. 

The  European  immigrant  often  votes  either  in 
the  interest  of  Popery  or  infidelity.  The  China 
men,  if  admitted  to  the  ballot  on  the  same  con 
ditions  as  the  European,  would  vote  en  masse  for 
that  man  or  that  party  which  would  serve  their 
selfish  purposes  most  and  best.  Rather  than  to 
extend  the  right  of  suffrage  thus  unconditionally 
to  the  Asiatics,  it  would  be  a  thousand  times  bet 
ter  for  the  preservation  of  the  liberties  and  institu 
tions  of  our  country  to  limit  the  right  of  suffrage 
from  this  Centennial  year  onward  to  Arnerican- 
born  citizens  only ;  and  only  to  such  of  those  as 
should  possess  a  good  moral  character,  and  be 
able  to  pass  a  creditable  examination  in  the  fun 
damental  branches  of  education,  including  a 
knowledge  of  our  Government  and  its  institu 
tions.  As  it  is,  the  Chinamen  are  often  cursed 
and  abused  because  they  are  not  voters  and  citi 
zens,  and  they  are  cursed  all  the  more  when  one 


122  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

of  them  ventures  to  express  a  desire  to  become 
naturalized,  and  assume  the  responsibilities  and 
enjoy  the  full  privileges  of  an  American  citizen. 

It  will  be  wise  and  well  for  the  American 
Christian  public  to  examine  this  Chinese  ques 
tion  calmly  and  thoughtfully  in  the  light  of  past 
history  and  present  providential  indications. 
Hitherto  the  contact  of  paganism  with  a  Chris 
tian  civilization  has  taken  place,  for  the  most 
part,  in  heathen  countries  by  the  introduction  of 
a  few  missionaries  of  the  Christian  religion,  a 
few  merchants  and  traders,  a  few  travelers  and 
consular  officials,  and  the  officers  and  crews  of 
vessels  from  Christian  lands. 

In  every  such  conflict  paganism  has  always  had 
the  advantage  of  having  the  government  and  es 
tablished  usages  and  institutions  of  the  country, 
the  multitude  of  the  people,  and  the  prevailing 
language  on  its  side.  Christian  civilization  has 
been  obliged  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  to  con 
tend  with  fearful  odds ;  her  representatives  have 
been  comparatively  few,  and  some  of  these  have 
not  been  of  the  best  class,  and  some  have  repre 
sented  the  lower  vices  and  grosser  evils  which  still 
curse  Christian  civilization,  rather  than  the  virtue, 
the  intelligence,  the  progressive  spirit,  the  diviner 
faith  and  purer  practices  which  prevail  in,  and  are 
the  glory  of,  more  highly  civilized  and  enlightened 


PAGAN  AND  CEIRISTIAN.  123 

nations.  But  actual  demonstration,  though  on  a 
small  scale,  and  weakened  by  some  imperfections, 
never  fails  to  make  an  impression,  even  upon  the 
unwilling  mind;  and  so, the  fast-sailing  ships,  the 
great  steamers  with  their  mighty  engines,  the  im 
mense  ware-houses  and  palatial  residences  of 
Christian  merchants  in  heathen  lands,  the  gen 
erally  honest  discharge  of  consular  and  diplom 
atic  duties  by  the  official  representatives  of  a 
higher  civilization, — all  these  things,  though  at 
first  regarded  with  seeming  indifference  or  ill-con- 

o  o 

cealed  jealousy  and  prejudice,  never  fail  to  make 
the  impression  upon  the  pagan  mind  of  superior 
intelligence  and  superior  power.  And  the  power 
of  truth,  the  power  of  a  new  emotion  is  om 
nipotent. 

The  missionary  of  the  Gospel  goes  forth  to 
pagan  and  heathen  lands  without  prestige,  with 
out  official  position  or  influence,  without  the  sup 
port  which  wealth  and  power  always  give;  and 
yet,  in  all  the  victories  which  Christian  civiliza 
tion  has  hitherto  achieved  over  pagan  civiliza 
tion,  the  simple  Christian  missionary  writh  the 
messages  of  the  Gospel  as  his  sole  armor,  has  al 
ways  been  a  mightier  factor  than  sailing-vessels, 
steam-ship  companies,  princely  merchants,  or 
official  dignitaries.  Since  the  dawn  of  the  Chris 
tian  era,  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  has  been  the  grand 


124  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

inspiring  force  in  all  progressive  civilization.  An 
open  Bible,  read  and  respected  by  the  people,  is 
a  sure  and  certain  sign  of  energy  and  enterprise, 
industry  and  intelligence,  material  wealth  and 
moral  power. 

It  has  been  reserved  for  this  nineteenth  cent 
ury  and  this  Republican  Government  of  these 
United  States  of  America,  to  witness  the  first 
great  experiment  of  aggregated  paganism  in  act 
ual  contact  with  the  best  form  of  Christian  civil 
ization  which  the  world  has  ever  seen,  on  Chris 
tian  soil,  in  the  midst  of  a  Christian  people, 
with  Christian  institutions,  and  under  the  regula 
tions  of  a  powerful  Christian  Government.  If 
Christian  civilization  fails  here,  it  commits  delib 
erate  suicide;  for  here  it  certainly  has  all  the  ad 
vantage.  Here  paganism  is  a  stranger,  meek, 
ignorant,  helpless,  docile,  teachable.  In  such  a 
presence  and  under  such  circumstances,  we  might 
expect  to  see  the  effete  forms  and  foolish  su 
perstitions  of  paganism  rapidly  melt  and  pass 
away  like  the  morning  dew  before  the  rising  sun. 
Here  paganism  comes  in  contact  with  the  genius 
and  spirit  of  our  institutions.  Here  the  idol 
worshipers  mingle  with  a  people  who  reject 
idolatry  as  foolish,  superstitious,  and  contemp 
tibly  absurd;  and  who  claim  to  worship  the 
one  only  true  and  living  God,  the  Creator  of 


PAGAN  AND  CHRISTIAN.  125 

heaven  and  earth.  Here  the  servile  subjects  of 
an  absolute  imperialism  come  in  contact  with  a 
system  of  political  economy,  and  with  principles 
of  government  which  hold  as  fundamental  that 
"all  men  are  created  free  and  equal,"  and  that 
every  man  has  a  natural  and  inalienable  right  to 
life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  Here 
an  effete,  decaying  civilization,  which  glories  in 
preserving  all  things  as  they  were — which  looks 
upon  all  new  inventions  and  improvements,  upon 
all  progress  in  the  arts  and  sciences  as  unwelcome 
innovations  to  be  discouraged,  comes  in  contact 
with  a  young,  fresh  and  vigorous  civilization 
which  has  no  respect  for  any  thing  simply  on  ac 
count  of  its  antiquity,  but  brings  all  things  to 
the  practical  test  of  actual  experiment,  and  "  se 
lects  the  fittest."  A  civilization  that  has  run  in 
the  same  old  rut  for  ages,  here  comes  in  contact 
with  one  that  is  constantly  striking  out  for  itself 
new  paths,  new  methods,  and  new  fields  of  op 
eration. 

If  our  civilization  were  perfect;  if  the  great 
fundamental  principles  of  our  government  were 
strictly  adhered  to  in  all  departments  of  its  ad 
ministration  ;  if  all  the  people  conducted  them 
selves  according  to  the  accepted  standard  of  mor 
als,  or  even  to  the  required  legal  standard;  if 
Christianity  itself  universally  manifested  in  its 


126  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

spirit  and  work  the  pure  teachings  and  exam 
ple  of  Jesus,  there  can  be  but  little  doubt  that 
the  heathen  would  behold  and  wonder,  admire 
and  embrace.  If  such  is  not  to  any  great  ex 
tent  the  result  thus  far,  the  fault  may  perhaps, 
lie  rather  in  the  imperfect  manifestation  of  a 
Christian  civilization  than  in  any  inability  or  un 
willingness  of  the  heathen  to  change.  History 
teaches  the  impossibility  of  continuing  in  statu 
quo  for  a  long  period,  two  distinct  and  often  con 
flicting  forms  of  civilization  under  one  and  the 
same  government,  in  the  same  country,  and  at 
the  same  time.  Constant  contact,  mutual  fric 
tion,  a  better  acquaintance  with  each  other,  al 
ways  modifies  the  points  of  difference  and  tends 
gradually  to  bring  the  two  distinct  forms  of  civ 
ilization  into  one. 

The  tendency  of  the  lower,  according  to  its 
measure  of  power,  is  to  corrupt,  weaken,  and 
poison  the  higher  and  better  ;  while  it  is  the  tend 
ency  of  the  higher  and  better,  according  to  its 
measure  of  power,  to  arouse,  vitalize,  energize,  pu 
rify,  and  uplift  the  lower  and  the  decaying.  And 
this  process  is  taking  place  to-day  in  the  contact 
of  the  Chinese  with  the  Christian  civilization  of 
the  United  States* 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  127 


CHAPTER  VII. 

CHINESE  WOMEN  IN  AMERICA. 

HEATHENISM  always  degrades  woman; 
and  the  civilization  of  China  for  thousands 
of  years  has  rested  upon  a  heathen  idolatrous 
basis.  There,  woman  before  marriage  has  no 
rights  outside  the  will  of  her  parents,  and  no 
rights  outside  the  will  of  her  husband  after  mar 
riage.  Custom,  however,  demands  that  every 
respectable  girl  of  suitable  age  shall  be  married. 
Early  marriages  are  universal.  Old  bachelors 
arc  common,  but  elderly  maiden  ladies, — a  most 
useful  and  worthy  class  of  people  in  any  coun 
try, — are  entirely  unknown  in  China.  Marriage 
is  the  privilege,  duty,  and  fate  of  Chinese  girls. 
But  the  courtships  leading  to  marriage,  the  be 
trothal,  the  arrangements  for  the  marriage  festivi 
ties  and  life  settlement  are  all  conducted  for  the 
children  by  the  parents  or  guardians,  with  the 
help  of  a  middle-man  or  go-between. 

The  Chinese  maiden,  before  marriage,  is  kept 
in  seclusion  and  ignorance.  The  principal  lesson 
she  has  to  learn  is  obedience.  She  is  not  sent  to 


128  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

school.  She  never  mingles  in  promiscuous  so 
ciety;  never  receives  personal  attention  or  let 
ters  of  correspondence  from  any  young  gentle 
man  whatever;  never  listens  to  the  voice  of  a 
lover ;  never  receives  upon  her  waiting  lips  the 
blissful  pledge  of  plighted  troth.  She  is  be 
trothed  by  her  parents  when  quite  young,  often 
under  ten  years  of  age.  In  this  important  mat 
ter  of  marriage  the  girls  of  China  have  no  choice, 
no  voice.  Their  wishes,  preferences,  and  affec 
tions  are  never  consulted.  Although  our  young 
people  would  rebel  against  the  introduction  of 
such  a  custom  among  us,  yet  it  is  doubtful 
whether  the  system  of  boy  and  girl  courtship 
which  prevails  in  this  country  results  in  any 
better  life  settlements  than  those  arranged  for 
the  inexperienced  young  people  of  China  by 
their  parents,  who  can  use  their  judgment  un 
moved  by  fancy  and  romance. 

In  China,  parents  may  sell  their  daughters  for 
debt,  and  husbands  may  sell  their  wives.  This 
may  not  be  a  very  common  custom,  but  instances 
occur  frequently  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  One 
instance  in  particular  came  under  my  notice  in 
the  country  near  Foochovv.  A  man  professed  to 
be  inquiring  after  Gospel  truth,  and  finally  re 
quested  baptism  and  admission  into  the  Church. 
A  few  days  before  the  time  set  for  his  admission 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  1 29 

he  came  and  said,  "There  is  one  little  matter 
that  troubles  me,  and  I  want  to  have  it  settled 
before  I  am  baptized.  The  woman  I  am  now 
living  with  is  the  wife  of  one  of  my  neighbors. 
He  owed  me  some  .forty  dollars,  and  being  una 
ble  to  pay,  he  offered  me  his  wife  to  satisfy  the 
debt.  I  needed  a  wife,  and  the  woman  was 
quite  willing  to  make  the  change  in  her  circum 
stances,  and  we  have  been  living  happily  together 
for  more  than  two  years.  What  now  shall  I  do  in 
the  case?"  He  was  advised  to  go  home  and 
study  carefully  those  parts  of  the  Gospel  which 
seemed  to  have  a  particular  bearing  upon  his 
case.  In  a  few  "weeks  he  returned  and  reported 
the  matter  all  settled.  He  had  sent  the  woman 
back  to  her  husband,  and  had  forgiven  the  debt. 
The  population  is  so  great  and  the  poor  are 
so  numerous  that  many  are  unable  to  meet  the 
expenses  of  a  family,  and  are  thus  deterred  from 
taking  a  wife.  And  since  all  girls  that  are  per 
mitted  to  live  must  be  provided  with  husbands, 
or  else  they  are  sold  to  infamy,  it  is  sometimes 
thought  best  not  to  let  them  live  at  all.  Infant 
icide  of  girls  is  practiced,  to  some  extent,  in  all 
parts  of  the  Empire,  and  in  some  sections  to  an 
alarming  extent.  On  the  birth  of  a  daughter  it 
is  not  a  very  unusual  custom  among  the  poor  for 
the  father  to  drown  the  little  helpless  one  in  a 


I3O  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

tub  of  water  prepared  and  waiting  for  the  pur 
pose.  Sometimes,  instead  of  destroying  the 
child  it  is  sold  to  some  old  procuress,  who 
brings  the  girl  up  to  a  life  of  shame  and  infamy. 
The  ranks  of  that  class  of  women  are  mostly 
recruited  in  this  way.  The  courtesans  of  China 
are  generally  slaves  to  the  cupidity  of  their  own 
ers.  They  are  bought  and  sold,  moved  from 
place  to  place,  and  compelled  to  carry  on  their 
vile  traffic  for  the  benefit  of  their  masters. 

The  general  condition  of  the  women  among 
the  poor  is  miserable  in  the  extreme,  as  may  be 
inferred  from  the  following  conversation,  which 
took  place  a  few  years  since  in  Foochow  between 
a  missionary  lady  and  one  of  these  women: 

Missionary  Lady.  ' '  How  many  children  have 
you?" 

Chinese  Woman.  ' '  Two  ;  one  twenty  and  the 
other  ten  years  old." 

M.  L.    ''Are  your  children  girls  or  boys?" 

C.    W.    "Both  are  boys." 

M.  L.    "Have  you  no  girls?" 

C.  W.  "  Not  now ;  I  have  had  five  girls,  but 
they  are  all  dead." 

M.  L.   "How  is  that?" 

C.  W.  "  We  were  too  poor  to  bring  them  up, 
and  my  husband  drowned  them  as  soon  as  they 
were  born." 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  131 

M.  L.  "How  could  you  do  such  a  wicked 
thing?" 

C.  W.  "Because  girls  are  better  dead  than 
alive.  I  wish  I  had  been  drowned." 

Such  is  the  wail  of  women  in  heathen  lands. 
There  are  two  classes  of  family  women  in  China, 
the  large-footed  or  field  woman,  who  is  expected 
to  do  heavy  manual  labor  in  the  fields,  like  the 
men ;  and  the  small-footed  woman,  who  is  ex 
pected  to  be  all  helpless  and  useless,  just  like 
the  fine  ladies  of  other  countries.  The  more 
effectually  to  secure  that  desired  result,  she  is 
left  without  education,  and  her  feet  are  bound 
and  cramped  and  deformed  until  she  is  unable 
to  stand  or  walk  without  great  difficulty. 

Although  no  one  seems  to  know  exactly  the 
origin  of  this  barbarous  custom,  or  the  exact  time 
of  its  introduction,  it  has  come  to  be  a  general 
custom  throughout  all  the  Empire.  It  is  not  con 
fined  to  the  nobility  or  to  the  rich ;  but  is  seen  alike 
in  the  mansion  of  the  wealthy  and  the  hovel  of  the 
poor.  It  is  considered  a  mark  of  ladyship,  and 
in  matrimony,  a  small-footed  girl  is  considered  a 
little  better  match  than  a  field  girl.  Any  fam 
ily,  however,  that  can  afford  the  expensive  lux 
ury  of  a  lady  can  have  one  by  binding  the  feet 
of  their  daughter  and  making  a  lady  of  her. 
The  process  of  binding  the  feet  usually  takes 


132  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

place  when  the  little  girl  is  between  three  and 
eight  years  of  age.  The  toes  are  turned  under; 
the  foot  is  pulled  as  nearly  straight  with  the  leg 
as  possible,  and  then,  commencing  at  the  toes, 
a  long,  narrow  cloth  bandage  is  wound  tightly 
around  the  foot  to  the  ankle  and  a  little  above. 
The  poor  child  suffers  intense  pain  for  a  number 
of  weeks.  The  growth  of  the  foot  is  checked. 
The  ankle  sometimes  becomes  disjointed ;  the  foot 
and  lower  part  of  the  limb  become  sadly  de 
formed.  To  Christian  people  this  seems  a  most 
inhuman  and  barbarous  custom.  But 

"  O  wad  some  power  the  giftie  gie  us 
To  see  oursel's  as  ithers  see  us! 
It  wad  frae  monie  a  blunder  free  us, 

And  foolish  notion." 

I  remember  that  while  in  China  this  custom 
came  up  for  discussion  in  the  native  Church. 
A  Christian  family  was  conforming  to  the  cus 
tom  and  binding  the  feet  of  the  daughter.  The 
Chinese  Church  members,  both  men  and  women, 
were  called  together,  and  the  missionaries  and 
their  wives  explained  the  Christian  view  of  this 
barbarous  practice.  The  Chinamen,  in  defense  of 
their  conduct,  referred  to  the  fact  that  the  dress 
and  social  position  of  the  small  footed  women  are 
widely  different  from  the  dress  and  social  position 
of  the  field  women,  and  that  a  large-footed  woman 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  133 

dressed  in  the  fashion  of  a  small-footed  woman 
would  be  regarded  as  a  disreputable  character; 
that  the  girl  in  question  belonged  to  a  family  in 
which  the  practice  of  binding  the  feet  had  always 
prevailed,  and  that  now  to  disregard  it  would  ne 
cessitate  a  total  change  of  dress  and  social  rela 
tions,  and  would  reduce  the  daughter  to  the  class 
of  field-women,  or  would  cause  her  to  be  consid 
ered  as  a  common  prostitute. 

One  old  Chinese  sister  brought  a  rather  unex 
pected  ad  hominem  argument.  She  produced 
certain  numbers  of  Harper  s  Monthly  containing 
fashion  plates  of  lady's  clothing^  when  long,  slim 
waists  were  popular.  The  old  lady  said  she  had 
heard  that  the  tight  lacing  among  the  Christian 
people  in  America  and  England  was  very  inju 
rious  to  health,  contracting  the  lungs,  inducing 
disease,  and  often  resulting  in  premature  death. 
She  claimed  that  binding  the  feet,  though  pain 
ful  at  first,  did  not  injure  the  health,  and  while 
she  did  not  approve  of  either  custom,  she  was 
free  to  say  that  she  thought  the  heathen  barbarism 
less  sinful  than  the  Christian  barbarism.  Was 
she  correct? 

There  are  about  three  thousand  Chinese  women 
in  San  Francisco,  and  about  as  many  more  in  all 
other  parts  of  the  country,  making  a  total  of 
about  six  thousand  Chinese  women  in  the  United 


134  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

States.  A  very  small  number,  indeed,  for  a 
population  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 
And  the  case  is  still  worse  when  we  come  to 
know  that  of  the  Chinese  women  now  here,  not 
one  in  ten  is  considered  or  treated  as  a  legal 
wife.  It  is  quite  doubtful  whether  five  hundred 
Chinamen  have  brought  their  first  wives  to  this 
country.  There  may  be  that  number  of  second 
wives  or  concubines,  but  real  first  wives  are  a 
rare  article  among  the  Chinese  in  America.  Oc 
casionally  some  wealthy  Chinaman  has  brought 
his  wife  and  servants  to  San  Francisco.  I  have 
seen,  perhaps,  a  half-dozen  small-footed  women 
in  this  country,  but  their  number  is  very  small  in 
deed.  The  feet  of  little  girls  doomed  to  a  life  of 
prostitution  are  never  bound.  The  boat  population 
never  bind  the  feet  of  their  daughters,  and  it  is 
from  one  or  the  other  of  these  sources  that  nearly 
all  the  Chinese  women  in  America  have  come. 
Of  the  six  thousand  Chinese  women  in  Amer 
ica  more  than  nine-tenths  are  of  that  unfortunate 
class  that  have  been  sold  into  a  hopeless  bondage 
worse  than  death.  There  is  nothing  connected 
with  this  whole  subject  of  Chinese  immigration 
so  objectionable,  so  revolting,  so  wicked,  as  this 
woman  question.  The  women  are  bought  in 
China;  bought  from  the  dealers  there;  bought 
from  poor  families  in  the  city  and  country ; 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  135 

bought  from  the  boat  people;  and,  when  the 
market  of  supplies  is  scarce,  then  girls  and  young 
women  are  stolen  from  homes  of  comparative 
comfort  and  virtue,  and  sold  and  shipped  across 
the  ocean  to  this  Christian  land,  to  be_sold_  agaih 
to  minister  to  the  lusts  of  wicked  men  for  the 
profit  of  their  more  wicked  masters.  They  are 
coaxed  and  flattered  and  promised  rich  husbands, 
fine  clothes  and  plenty  of  money,  if  they  will 
come  to  America  willingly.  If  they  are  still  un 
willing  to  come,  they  are  punished,  tormented, 
and  forced  to  come.  The  trade  is  carried  on  by 
a  class  of  Chinese  villains  who  employ  old  hags 
of  women  to  go  back  and  forth  between  China 
and  California,  and  bring  these  women  and  girls 
across  the  ocean.  During  the  passage  they  are 
taught  what  story  to  tell,  if,  on  arriving  in  San 
Francisco,  they  should  happen  to  be  arrested  and 
questioned  as  to  their  family  relations  and  modes 
of  obtaining  a  livelihood.  They  are  to  say  that 
they  have  come  to  join  their  husband  or  brother 
or  father  or  friend,  who  is  in  the  interior,  or 
they  have  come  to  engage  in  the  seamstress's 
trade.  They  are  to  call  the  procuress  mother  or 
elder  sister,  according  to  the  respective  ages  of 
the  several  parties  and  the  circumstances  of  the 
case.  They  are  made  to  believe  that  the  Amer 
icans  who  interest  themselves  in  their  behalf  and 


136  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

try  to  free  them  from  their  horrid  condition,  are 
themselves  /women-dealers}  who  are  seeking  to 
reduce  them  to  a  slavery  and  service  far  more 
cruel  than  that  in  which  their  present  masters 
'liold  them.  So  ignorant,  so  stupid,  so  destitute 
of  any  consciousness  of  their  own  personal  and 
individual  rights  in  themselves  are  these  women, 
that  they  really  consider  themselves  bound  to  do 
service  as  common  prostitutes,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  man  who  has  paid  money  for  their  purchase, 
lest  he  should  lose  by  his  investment. 

These  women  and  girls  are  bought  in  China  for 
from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  and 
three  hundred  dollars,  and  are  sold  here  quite  reacl- 
ily  for  from  three  hundred  to  six  hundred  dollars, 
and  sometimes  more.  Quite  a  number  of  Chinamen 
have  purchased  these  girls  for  secondary  wives  or 
concubines,  and  live  together  with  them  in  strictly 
family  relations.  This  is  such  an  improvement 
upon  general  and  promiscuous  intercourse  that,  for 
the  present,  so  far  as  the  Chinese  in  America  are 
concerned,  we  are  rather  inclined  to  approve  the 
practice  as  the  lesser  evil.  Frequently  a  kind  of 
attachment  springs  up  between  some  visitor  and 
one  of  these  girls,  and  he  being  unable  or  unwill 
ing  to  pay  the  sum  demanded,  induces  her  to 
run  away  with  him.  The  owner  finds  some  diffi 
culty  in  claiming  his  property  in  our  courts,  and 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  137 

so  associations  of  Chinese  villains  and  cut-throats 
have  been  formed  for  the  purpose  of  protecting 
the  owners  of  women  and  girls  in  their  property 
rights,  and  of  doing  any  other  villainous  business 
that  comes  to  hand. 

The  San  Francisco  press  know  these  men  by 
the  term  of  "Highbinders."  The  name  of  the 
principal  association  or  company  is  "Hip  Yee 
Tong, "  "The  Temple  of  United  Justice."  None 
but  the  Chinese  would  ever  think  of  using  so 
good  a  name  for  such  a  nefarious  business.  But 
with  them  the  more  devilish  the  business,  the 
more  heavenly  the  name  by  which  it  is  called. 
For  each  Chinese  woman  brought  into  the  coun 
try,  and  sold  into  prostitution  under  the  protec 
tion  of  the  "Hip  Yee  Tong,"  the  sum  of  forty 
dollars  is  levied  as  a  fund  with  which  to  carry  on 
its  operations,  and  to  pay  the  desperadoes  who 
execute  their  orders.  A  small  weekly  or  monthly 
tax  is  also  levied  upon  each  woman  for  the  same 
purpose.  According  to  a  multitude  of  Chinese 
statements  during  the  past  few  years,  and  accord 
ing  to  direct  evidence  before  the  Senate  investi 
gating  committee,  a  part  of  this  blood-money 
goes  into  the  pockets  of  special  policemen. 
Some  of  these  men  have  become  rich  from  these 
fees  and  gamblers'  bribes.  The  Chinese  women 
have  been  taken  from  the  steamers  to  some  room 


138  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

or  barracoon  in  Chinatown,  and  kept  under  the 
surveillance  of  a  special  policeman  until  the  fees 
were  paid  and  sales  made. 

We  have  heard  dark  hints  of  a  room,  called 
"The  Queen's  Room,"  where  the  girls  and 
women  were  critically  examined  after  the  fashion 
of  African  slave-dealers  not  many  years  ago.  I 
can  not  write  these  things  without  expressing  my 
deep  indignation  at  this  barbarous,  this  villainous 
conduct  of  these  wicked  Chinamen ;  but  no  lan 
guage  that  I  can  use  can  adequately  express  the 
deep  disgust  and  utter  abhorrence  which  all  de 
cent  people  must  feel  towards  these  white  men, 
belonging  to  a  Christian  civilization,  who  have 
enriched  themselves  by  aiding  and  abetting  this 
abominable  traffic.  Some  of  these  men  are  now 
very  loud-mouthed  in  denouncing  Chinese  immi 
gration,  and  exposing  Chinese  villainies,  while 
they  themselves  are  parties  to,  and  profit  by  this 
woman  traffic,  the  sum  of  all  Chinese  villainies. 

It  has  been  the  practice  to  sell  the  women  for 
a  term  of  years.  An  agreement  answering  to  a 
bill  of  sale,  written  on  red  paper,  stating  the 
amount  of  money  paid  by  the  purchaser,  and  the 
length  of  service  he  had  a  right  to  claim,  has 
been  given  to  the  victim.  But  finding  our  laws 
very  severe  against  buying  or  selling  human  be 
ings,  during  the  last  few  years,  they  have  modi- 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  139 

fied  the  form  of  this  bill  of  sale  into  a  kind  of 
agreement  between  the  purchaser  and  the  victim 
herself,  by  which  she  is  made  to  acknowledge 
the  receipt  in  her  own  hands  of  a  certain  sum  of 
money  from  the  purchaser,  for  which  she  agrees 
to  prostitute  her  body  for  his  profit  for  a  specified 
number  of  years.  She  is  also  made  to  state  that 
she,  with  her  own  hands,  pays  the  money  over 
to  her  former  owner,  to  pay  him  or  her,  as  the 
case  may  be,  for  borrowed  money.  Here  is  a 
translation  of  one  of  these  bills  of  sale  : 

"  AN  AGREEMENT  to  assist  the  woman  Ah  Ho,  be 
cause  coming  from  China  to  San  Francisco  she  became 
indebted  to  her  mistress  for  passage.  Ah  Ho  herself  asks 
Mr.  Yee  Kvvan  to  advance  for  her  six  hundred  and  thirty 
dollars,  for  which  Ah  Ho  distinctly  agrees  to  give  her 
body  to  Mr.  Yee  for  service  a  sja  prostitute  for  a  term  of 
four  years.  There  shall  be  no  interest  on  the  money.  Ah 
Ho  shall  receive  no  wages.  At  the  expiration  of  four 
years  Ah  Ho  shall  be  her  own  master.  Mr.  Yee  Kwan 
shall  not  hinder  nor  trouble  her.  If  Ah  Ho  runs  away 
before  her  time  is  out,  her  mistress  shall  find  her  and  re 
turn  her,  and  whatever  expense  is  incurred  in  finding  and 
returning  her,  Ah  Ho  shall  pay.  On  this  day  of  agree 
ment  Ah  Ho  with  her  own  hands  has  received  from  Mr. 
Yee  Kwan  six  hundred  and  thirty  dollars.  If  Ah  Ho 
shall  be  sick  at  any  time  for  more  than  ten  days,  she 
shall  make  up  by  an  extra  month  of  service  for  every  ten 
days  of  sickness.  Now  this  agreement  has  proof — this 
paper  received  by  Ah  Ho  is  witness.  TUNG  CHEE. 

"•Twelfth  year,  ninth  month  and  fourteenth  day." 
(About  middle  of  October  1873.) 


I4O  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

And  here  is  another,  both  of  them  procured 
and  translated  by  myself  and  used  in  court  to  se 
cure  the  conviction  of  the  offenders ;  afterward 
given  as  evidence  before  the  "  Senate  investigating 
Committee,"  and  quoted  in  full  in  Mr.  Sargent's 
speech  in  the  United  States  Senate,  May  2,  1876. 

"AN  AGREEMENT  to  assist  a  young  girl  named  Loi 
Yau.  Because  she  became  indebted  to  her  mistress  for 
passage,  food,  etc.,  and  has  nothing  to  pay,  she  makes 
her  body  over  to  this  woman,  Sep  Sam,  to  serve  as  a 
prostitute  to  make  out  the  sum  of  five  hundred  and 
three  dollars.  The  money  shall  draw  no  interest,  and 
Loi  Yau  shall  serve  four  and  one-half  years.  On  this 
day  of  agreement  Loi  Yau  receives  the  sum  of  five  hun 
dred  and  three  dollars  in  her  own  hands.  When  the 
time  is  out,  Loi  Yau  may  be  her  own  master,  and  no 
man  shall  trouble  her.  If  she  runs  away  before  the  time 
is  out,  and  any  expense  is  incurred  in  catching  her,  then 
Loi  Yau  must  pay  the  expense.  If  she  is  sick  fifteen  days 
or  more  she  shall  make  up  one  month  for  every  fifteen 
days.  If  Sep  Sam  shall  go  back  to  China,  then  Loi  Yau 
shall  serve  another  party  till  her  time  is  out.  If  in  such 
service  she  should  be  sick  one  hundred  days,  or  more, 
and  can  not  be  cured,  she  may  return  to  Sep  Sam's  place. 
For  a  proof  of  this  agreement,  this  paper,  Loi  YAU, 
"  Dated  2d}  sixth  month  of  the  present  yearS* 

In  the  Summer  of  1873,  a  Chinamen  by  the 
name  of  Yat  Sang  assisted  three  young  Chinese 
women  to  escape  from  a  den  of  prostitution  and 
to  find  their  way  to  the  Methodist  Mission  House, 
916  Washington  Street.  Yat  Sang  proposed  to 
marry  one  of  the  girls,  and  certain  of  his  ac- 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  141 

quaintanccs  proposed  to  marry  the  other  two. 
The  girls  accepted  the  propositions.  The  men 
procured  licenses,  and  were  married  according 
to  the  ordinance  of  God  and  the  laws  of  Califor 
nia.  A  few  weeks  after  Yat  Sang  and  his  wife 
came  in  great  terror  to  the  Mission  House  and 
asked  for  protection. 

The  former  owner  of  his  wife,  failing  to  col 
lect  her  value,  had  brought  the  case  before  the 
dreaded  "Hip  Yee  Tong  Society,"  and  one  of 
their  destroying  angels  had  demanded  the  return 
of  the  girl  or  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 
Unable  to  pay  the  money,  and  unwilling  to  give 
up  the  woman,  Yat  Sang  had  been  dragged  be 
fore  the  associated  villains  in  their  secret  council 
chamber  and  given  three  weeks  in.which  to  choose 
whether  to  return  the  woman,  or  her  moneyed 
value,  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  or  to  be  as 
sassinated.  Two  of  Yat  Sang's  friends  were  pres 
ent  and  witnessed  the  proceedings.  After  consul 
tation  with  certain  lawyers,  I  assisted  Yat  Sang 
in  having  eight  of  the  leading  "  Hip  Yee  Tong" 
men  arrested  on  a  charge  of  conspiracy  to  ex 
tort  money.  The  case  was  tried  in  the  Police 
Court.  To  the  credit  of  the  Chinese  merchants 
I  may  say  that  more  than  fifty  of  them  called 
me  to  a  private  interview,  and  encouraged  me  to 
go  on,  promising  to  aid  me  in  every  possible 


142  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

way.  Of  their  own  accord  they  employed  the 
best  legal  counsel  in  the  city  to  aid  the  Prosecut 
ing-  Attorney  of  the  Police  Court.  But  for  some 
unaccountable  reason  the  Prosecuting  Attorney 
refused  to  allow  Mr.  M'Alister,  the  counsel  em 
ployed  by  the  Chinese  merchants  to  aid  him,  to 
take  part  in  the  prosecution;  refused  to  bring 
forward  the  official  records  of  the  Society  which 
had  been  seized  with  the  men,  and  which  con 
tained  the  names  of  each  of  the  eight  defendants 
as  officers  of  the  (<Hip  Yee  Tong. "  His  whole 
conduct  showed  that  he  did  not  wish  a  convic 
tion,  and  would  not  have  it  if  he  could  prevent  it. 
However,  Yat  Sang  and  his  two  friends  testified 
to  the  facts  as  above  mentioned.  The  defendants 
each  simply  denied  the  same,  and  claimed  that 
they  did  not  belong  to  the  Hip  Yee  Tong,  and 
brought  forward  two  Chinese  witnesses  to  testify 
for  each  defendant,  that  they  were  all  good  and 
true  men.  To  the  astonishment  and  disappoint 
ment  of  all  respectable  people  who  had  noticed 
the  case,  the  jury  rendered  a  verdict  of  acquittal. 
With  that  Prosecuting  Attorney  and  that  jury 
must  rest  the  responsibility  of  neglecting  the  op 
portunity  then  offered  to  break  up  one  of  the 
most  fearful  and  notorious  bands  of  desperadoes 
known  among  the  Chinese  in  America.  It  was 
commonly  reported  by  the  Chinese,  and  believed 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  143 

by  many  other  than  the  Chinese,  that  the  Pros 
ecuting  Attorney  had  been  consulted  by  the  agents 
of  the  conspirators;  some  of  the  defendants  con 
fessing  that  the  whole  affair  had  cost  the  ' '  Hip 
Yee  Tong  Society"  ten  thousand  dollars. 

During  the  progress  of  the  trial  the  following 
editorial  appeared  in  the  San  Francisco  Evening 
Bulletin  : 

' '  CELESTIAL    DEPRAVITY. 

"Two  Chinese  merchants  of  acknowledged 
respectability  and  influence,  who  have  long  been 
residents  of  San  Francisco,  and  are  conversant 
with  the  customs  and  manners  of  the  American 
people,  called  at  this  office  to-day  and  voluntarily 
explained  a  system  of  securing  women  for  pros 
titution  as  practiced  by  their  countrymen.  It 
appears  that  Hip  Yee  Tong  &  Co.  inaugurated 
the  base  traffic  here  in  1852,  in  a  small,  un 
ostentatious  way,  and  as  time  progressed,  in 
creased  their  facilities,  and  by  each  steamer 
brought  more  and  more  from  China,  and  com 
mitted  them  to  a  life  of  shame.  Most  of  the 
women  were  kidnaped  and  brought  hither  by  force. 
In  1863,  the  six  companies,  with  other  leading 
Chinese  merchants,  succeeded  in  partially  check 
ing  the  importation  of  Chinese  women,  and  re 
turned  many  who  were  detained  here  home,  ex 
pending  many  thousand  dollars  in  the  good  work. 


144  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Three  years  afterward,  one  Choy  Poy  established 
a  restaurant  and  vile  retreat  on  Jackson  Street, 
between  Dupont  and  Stockton,  and  Hip  Yee 
Tong  began  business  again.  These  two  villains, 
Poy  and  Tong,  made  a  common  cause  of  the 
war  against  the  law,  and  by  uniting  their  strength 
created  a  force  of  fifty,  then  one  hundred,  and 
finally  three  hundred  fighting  men,  exclusive  of 
superintendents,  which  represents  their  power  in 
number  to-day.  These  men  are  armed  and 
otherwise  equipped  for  war  against  Celestials  who 
attempt  to  interfere  with  the  illegitimate  traffic 
carried  on  in  the  dens  of  infamy,  or  who  may  be 
otherwise  obnoxious.  Thus  it  is,  that  the  cute 
fellows  who  evade  the  laws  of  this  land  manage 
to  suppress  any  interference  by  brother  Celestials 
of  a  moral  tone  and  honest  pretentious  to  de 
cency.  As  soon  as  the  China  steamer  arrives, 
carriages  are  sent  to  the  wharf  to  remove  the 
females  imported  to  Hip  Yee  Tong's  house, 
where  they  are  stored,  as  goods  in  ware-houses, 
until  the  owners  or  owner  comes  forward  and 
pays  the  forty  dollars  charges,  with  the  under 
standing  that  in  the  case  of  a  default  the  woman 
will  be  sold  to  pay  expenses.  Our  informants 
state  that  Hip  Yee  Tong  has  imported  over  six 
thousand  women  to  San  Francisco,  and  realized 
from  his  sales  about  two  hundred  thousand  dol- 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  145 

lars.  Hitherto,  the  respectable  Chinese  have 
dreaded  to  complain  against  these  infamous  slave 
dealers,  for  fear  of  terrible  revenge  by  the  lat 
ter;  but  now,  learning  that  Rev.  Mr.  Gibson  will 
co-operate  with  any  legitimate  movement  look 
ing  to  the  abolition  of  the  nefarious  practices  of 
the  wicked  Hip  Yee  Tong  and  Choy  Poy,  the  re 
formed  Chinaman  takes  fresh  courage,  and  longs 
to  begin  a  crusade  against  them.  There  is  no 
reason  why  the  authorities  of  the  city,  if  so  dis 
posed,  can  not  suppress  the  traffic  in  Chinese 
women  now  and  forever,  and  thus  blot  out 
a  stain." 

Soon  after  this  affair,  ten  Chinese  women,  on 
arrival  at  San  Francisco,  found  means  to  reach 
the  Methodist  Mission  House  and  asked  to  be 
sent  back  to  China.  I  reported  the  case  to  the 
Chinese  merchants,  and  they  promptly  furnished 
the  money  to  pay  the  passage  back,  and  assured 
me  that  they  would  do  the  same  for  every  woman 
or  girl  who  wished  to  go.  They  even  went  so  far 
as  to  prepare  a  great  placard,  which  they  wished 
to  be  carried  through  Chinatown  by  an  Ameri 
can,  stating,  in  large  Chinese  characters,  that  any 
Chinese  woman  or  girl  who  would  get  to  the 
Methodist  Mission  and  desire  to  return  to  China, 
should  be  provided  with  a  passage.  This  action  of 
the  Chinese  merchants  is  in  striking  and  favorable 

10 


146  THE  CHINESE    IN  AMERICA. 

contrast  to  the  action  of  certain  lawyers  and  po 
litical  demagogues  who  have  ever  been  ready 
to  aid  Chinese  villains  and  desperadoes  in  taking 
advantage  of  all  technicalities  in  order  to  defeat 
the  ends  of  justice,  and  who  now  are  most  offi 
cious  in  the  Anti-Chinese  movement. 

In  1872  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Cali 
fornia  passed  a  law  creating  a  Commissioner  of 
Immigration,  with  power  to  examine  immigrants, 
and  to  forbid  the  landing  of  those  whom  he 
should  find  to  be  criminals,  or  lewd  persons,  or 
afflicted  with  contagious  diseases.  Under  the 
provisions  of  that  act  the  Commissioner  forbade 
the  landing  of  twenty-two  Chinaese  women  from 
the  steamer  Japan,  which  arrived  here  in  August, 
1873.  The  women  dealers,  by  the  help  of  law 
yers  of  a  certain  class,  obtained  a  writ  of  habeas 
corpus,  and  brought  the  women  on  shore  before 
Judge  Morrison  of  the  Fourth  District  Court. 
When  the  women  were  brought  to  the  City  Hall, 
and  placed  in  the  Mayor's  waiting-room  until  the 
time  of  opening  the  court  arrived,  a  scene  of 
perfect  confusion  took  place.  The  women,  either 
through  fear  or  anger,  or  instigated  by  some  cun 
ning  Chinese  rascal,  began  to  cry  and  moan, 
then  to  scream  and  yell,  striking  their  breasts 
and  pulling  their  hair  and  rolling  on  the  floor  in 
apparently  the  greatest  agony  and  suffering. 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  147 

Rev.  Mr.  Condit  and  myself,  passing  by,  were 
called  in  to  pacify  them,  but  the  more  we  tried 
to  pacify  them  the  louder  they  wailed  and 
screamed.  The  clerks  came  pouring  out  of  their 
offices,  judges  came  from  their  chambers,  crowds 
rushed  in  from  the  streets,  some  amused,  some 
incensed,  and  all  able  to  say  that  they  never  saw 
the  like  before.  The  case  was  adjourned  until 
the  next  day,  and  when  the  girls  were  removed 
to  the  county  jail  another  scene  ensued.  Great 
strong  policemen  were  obliged  to  take  them  up 
by  force  and  hoist  them  into  a  wagon  as  they 
would  sheep  or  calves.  The  next  day  they  were 
brought  into  court  and  examined.  They  each 
and  all  denied  being  prostitutes ;  had  come  to 
find  their  husband,  brother,  etc.  It  may  be 
interesting  to  the  reader  to  know  just  what  these 
women  did  testify,  and  so  we  will  give  a  part  of 
the  testimony  in  Judge  Morrison's  Court  as  re 
ported  in  a  San  Francisco  paper. 

"THE  TALES  OF  THE  INNOCENTS. 

' '  The  attorney  for  the  petitioner  proposed 
to  examine  a  number  of  the  women  and  ascer 
tain  from  them  their  condition,  and  their  pur 
pose  in  coming  to  this  country.  Low  Ying 
was  called.  Miss  Ying  ascended  the  stand 
with  a  timid  air.  She  testified,  through  an 


148  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

interpreter,  that  she  was  twenty  years  of  age. 
She  was  unmarried,  but  expected  soon  to  be. 
She  had  come  here  to  marry.  Her  husband  to 
be,  resided  on  Jackson  Street.  She  did  not  know 
where  Jackson  Street  was,  however.  Her  mother 
lived  here  also  on  Jackson  Street,  and  had  writ 
ten  a  letter  to  her  to  come  to  San  Francisco 
and  get  married  to  a  man  whom  she  had  chosen 
for  her.  That  was  the  Chinese  way  of  doing 
such  things.  The  witness  had  been  here  many 
years  ago,  when  very  young,  and  had  returned 
to  China.  Low  Ying  was  then  permitted  to  re 
tire  to  her  seat,  confident  that  she  had  satisfied 
every  one  present  of  her  perfect  innocence. 

"TWO    BLOOMING    BRIDES. 

"Ah  Lim  was  the  next  innocent  called.  She 
was  but  nineteen  years  of  age.  She  had  been 
married  in  China.  Her  husband  had  come  to 
this  country  years  ago.  She  had  found  it  hard 
work  to  exist  in  her  native  land  without  her  hus 
band's  helping  hand,  and  she  had  conceived  the 
idea  of  coming  here  and  joining  him.  She  did 
not  know  exactly  where  he  was,  but  she  was 
confident  that  she  would  find  him.  Di  Hee,  a 
corpulent  feminine,  with  a  very  prominent  fore 
head  and  a  very  insignificant  face,  waddled  to 
the  stand.  She  wore  a  profusion  of  gaudy  wax 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  149 

flowers  in  her  hair,  and  spoke  in  a  very  childish 
voice.  She  was  sweet  sixteen.  She  was  married, 
and  had  come  here,  like  the  preceding  witness,  to 
hunt  up  an  errant  husband,  who  was  floating 
around  town  somewhere,  she  did  not  know  where. 
When  asked  how  she  was  going  to  find  him,  she 
answered  through  the  interpreter,  'Just  let  me 
go  once,  and  see  how  quick  I'll  find  him.' 

''AN    INDIGNANT    INNOCENT. 

"Ah  Fung,  a  damsel  of  nineteen  Summers, 
answered  the  questions  put  to  her  in  a  very  de 
fiant  manner  and  with  a  terseness  rarely  found 
in  a  witness.  She  had  a  husband  in  China,  but 
had  come  out  to  see  what  kind  of  a  country  this 
was,  anyway.  She  had  an  elder  sister  here,  whom 
she  was  about  to  join.  She  had  always  been  re 
spected  in  China  for  her  virtue  and  her  general 
exemplary  character.  She  was  so  tortured  with 
questions  respecting  her  life  in  China  and  her 
family,  that  at  one  time  she  petulantly  exclaimed, 
'Why  do  you  ask  me  so  many  questions?  My 
husband  would  not  dare  to  bother  me  so. '  Ah 
Hong,  aged  nineteen,  came  here  to  meet  her 
husband,  who  had  left  China  some  years  ago. 
She,  like  the  rest,  did  not  really  know  who  her 
husband  was,  but  she  was  just  as  confident  as 
the  rest  that  she  could  find  him  very  easily  if  she 


150  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

had  an  opportunity.  Rev.  Otis  Gibson,  who, 
from  his  observations,  took  no  stock  in  the  virtue 
of  the  innocents,  testified  to  having  lived  ten 
years  in  China,  during  which  time  he  became 
conversant  with  the  customs  and  manners  of  the 
people  there.  He  explained  the  difference  be 
tween  Chinese  courtesans  and  the  respectable 
females.  The  courtesans  generally  wore  gar 
ments  of  a  loud  color,  and  flowers  in  their  hair ; 
whereas  the  respectable  females  were  simply  and 
modestly  attired.  He  had  noticed  while  seated 
in  the  court- room,  that  the  women  present  wore 
garments  which  undoubtedly  disguised  their  true 
character.  He  had  seen  glimpses  of  gaudy  gar 
ments  beneath  their  outer  dress,  and  he  had  no 
doubt  that  if  they  were  examined  they  would  be 
found  to  be  arrayed  in  gaudy  dresses.  On  cross- 
examination,  he  testified  that  there  were  about 
two  thousand  Chinese  women  in  San  Francisco  ; 
a  very  small  proportion  of  whom,  about  one 
hundred,  were  married,  the  remainder  being 
either  prostitutes  or  mistresses  for  Chinamen  who 
had  wives  in  China. 

MR.     QUINT    INVESTIGATES. 

A  long  discussion  ensued  respecting  the  pro 
priety  of  examining  the  women  to  ascertain 
whether  the  Reverend  gentleman's  surmises  were 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  15  I 

correct.  The  judge  remarked  that  the  women 
wore  very  wide  sleeves,  and  thought  that  there 
would  be  no  indelicacy  or  impropriety  in  gazing 
clown  their  sleeves.  Judge  Quint  performed  the 
operation  upon  several  of  the  women,  and  found 
that  they  all  wore  some  dress  of  gaudy  color  and 
material  beneath  their  outer  garment,  exactly  as 
Mr.  Gibson  had  stated." 

During  the  trial  another  scene  took  place,  de 
scribed  in  the  city  papers  as  follows : 

' '  THE   JUDGE    DRIVEN     FROM    HIS    BENCH. 

"  At  this  juncture,  one  of  the  women  among 
the  crowd  jumped  to  her  feet  and  gave  an  awful 
screech,  and  then  the  rest  of  them  joined  in  the 
infernal  chorus.  Mr.  Locke,  the  attorneys  and 
the  deputy  sheriffs  all  tried  to  quiet  them,  but 
they  would  not  be  comforted.  They  put  their 
handkerchiefs  to  their  faces  and  bellowed  at  the 
top  of  their  lungs.  Their  wails  rang  through  the 
City  Hall,  bringing  the  clerks  from  the  various 
city  departments,  and  even  attracting  the  people 
upon  the  streets.  Judge  Morrison  stuffed  his 
fingers  in  his  ears,  and  retired  to  his  chambers, 
and  Court  was  suspended  fifteen  minutes  before 
order  could  be  restored.  The  Chinese  inter 
preter  said  that  between  their  cries,  the  women 
were  expostulating  against  being  kept  in  prison, 


152  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

saying  that  they  had  not  killed  any  body,  stolen 
any  thing,  or  set  fire  to  any  thing,  and  saw  no 
reason  why  they  should  be  kept  in  prison.  The 
crowd  which  gathered  around  seemed  greatly 
amused  at  the  frantic  demonstrations  of  grief. 
Some  of  the  women  appeared  in  danger  of  shak 
ing  themselves  to  pieces  by  the  violence  of  their 
grief,  and  others  slid  down  on  the  floor,  and  rock 
ing  back  and  forth,  emitted  ear-splitting  screeches. 
It  was  noticed,  when  they  were  at  last  quieted, 
that  nearly  all  their  eyes  were  dry,  few  tears  hav 
ing  actually  been  shed.  From  this  the  specta 
tors  concluded  that  it  was  but  a  clever  dodge  on 
the  part  of  the  women  to  gain  the  sympathy  of 
the  Court. 

"At  this  point  Judge  Morrison  remarked 
that  it  was  strange  that  the  husbands  these 
women  claimed  to  have  had  not  presented  them 
selves.  It  would  be  very  satisfactory  to  him  to 
have  these  husbands  come  forward  and  see  their 
wives.  Mr.  Quint  promised  to  look  some  of 
them  up.  He  was  not  aware  that  they  would 
be  permitted  to  see  their  wives.  A  witness  was 
then  asked  by  the  Court  what  number  in  a  hun 
dred  of  the  Chinese  women  here  are  respectable 
married  women.  The  witness  replied  rather 
drolly :  '  I  can  not  say  how  many  in  a  hundred ; 
one  or  two  in  a  thousand.' 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  153 

"IN    SEARCH    OF   A    HUSBAND. 

"A  fat,  jolly-looking  Chinaman  was  then  pro 
duced  as  the  husband  of  one  of  the  women.  Mr. 
Ryan  proposed  that  this  man  be  placed  among  a 
half  a  dozen  of  his  countrymen,  to  see  if  his  re 
puted  wife  could  pick  him  out.  Mr.  Quint  ob 
jected;  but  Judge  Morrison  said  that  it  was  a 
good  suggestion,  and  ordered  that  it  be  carried 
out.  The  Chinaman  was  placed  in  a  row  with 
five  others,  and  the  woman  he  claimed  as  his 
wife  brought  into  the  court-room  and  told  by  the 
Chinese  interpreter  to  pick  her  husband  out.  She 
scanned  the  row,  the  fat  Chinaman  rolling  his 
head  and  endeavoring  to  catch  her  eye,  and 
finally  he  nodded  his  head  at  her. 

'  The  Court.    "That  won't  do;  I  saw  him  nod 
his  head  to  her.' 

"  Mr.  Ryan  (excitedly).    '  Yes,  and  he  stepped 
out  of  the  line.' 

"The  woman  had  been  so  decidedly  informed 
that  she  at  last  approached  the  Chinaman. 

' '  Mr.    Quint.    '  I  think  there  was  a  selection. ' 

"The  Court  held  otherwise,  however. 

"Mr.   Ryan  (to    Mr.    Quint).   Got  any  more 
husbands  ?' 

"Mr.   Quint.    '  We  have  not  had  time  to  look 
around  for  them.' 


154  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

' '  Judge  Morrison.  '  The  Court  will  give  you 
an  opportunity.' 

"Further  hearing  was  continued  until  eleven 
o'clock  to-day.  When  the  women  were  being 
taken  to  the  van  to  be  driven  to  the  jail  it  took 
all  the  persuasive  eloquence  of  the  Chinese  inter 
preter  to  prevent  another  howling  exhibition." 

Judge  Morrison  sustained  the  Commissioner  of 
Immigration  and  remanded  the  women  back  to 
the  Steamship  Company  to  be  returned  to  China. 
Immediately  after  Judge  Morrison's  decision  was 
announced,  Messrs.  Edgerton  and  Quint  obtained 
a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  from  Chief  Justice  Wal 
lace  of  the  Supreme  Court,  upon  the  allegation 
that  the  women  were  illegally  detained  by  the 
Captain  of  the  Japan.  The  writ  was  executed  in 
the  nick  of  time,  just  as  the  steamer  was  about 
to  leave  the  wharf,  and  the  women  were  escorted 
back  to  the  County  Jail,  where  they  remained 
until  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  of  Califor 
nia  sustained  the  ruling  of  Judge  Morrison,  and 
the  women  were  the  second  time  remanded  back 
to  the  steamer.  But  the  women  dealers  and 
their  unprincipled  lawyers  then  applied  to  the 
United  States  District  Court,  procured  another, 
the  third  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  the  case  was 
tried  before  that  tribunal.  That  Court  reversed 
the  decision  of  Judge  Morrison  and  of  the 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  155 

Supreme  Court  of  the  State  of  California,  pro 
nounced  the  law  under  which  the  Commissioner 
of  Immigration  had  refused  permission  to  these 
women  to  land  to  be  unconstitutional,  and  or 
dered  the  women  to  be  allowed  their  freedom. 
By  consent  of  the  counsel  on  both  sides,  one 
woman  was  held,  and  an  appeal  taken  to  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court,  in  Washington. 
The  other  women  were  at  once  disposed  of  in 
the  various  brothels  of  Chinatown.  One  of  them 
found  her  life  unendurable,  and  has  now  for  more 
than  a  year  been  an  inmate  of  the  Asylum  for 
Chinese  women  in  the  Methodist  Mission  House 
in  San  Francisco.  After  a  delay  of  nearly  three 
years  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States 
gave  its  decision,  sustaining  the  ruling  of  the 
United  States  District  Court  pronouncing  the  law 
under  which  the  women  were  prevented  from 
landing  unconstitutional. 

In  San  Francisco  Chinatown  certain  narrow 
streets  or  alleys  are  largely  given  up  to  dens  of 
prostitution.  Formerly,  the  girl  who  acted  as 
decoy  stood  in  the  open  front  door  inviting  pas 
sers-by  to  enter.  But  when  the  police,  goaded 
by  public  sentiment,  were  compelled  to  make  a 
feint  of  suppressing  these  places,  they  were  al 
lowed  to  make  little  openings  in  their  front  door 
about  eight  by  ten  inches  large,  covered  by  a 


156  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

movable  slide.  Here  the  poor  girl  who  acts  as 
decoy  sits  or  stands,  tricked  out  in  silks  and 
daubed  with  paint,  inviting  all  passers-by,  with 
out  regard  to  age,  race  or  color,  to  enter.  On 
one  occasion  I  heard  a  policeman  say  to  a  Chinese 
courtesan,  "You  must  close  your  front  door;  you 
may  invite  as  many  people  as  you  please  through 
your  window;  but  I  can't  let  you  stand  in  the 
door  any  more."  That  is  about  the  extent  of 
the  police  effort  to  check  Chinese  prostitution. 
Some  of  these  dens  are  said  to  be  devoted  to 
the  accommodation  of  white  visitors,  and  others 
more  exclusively  for  Chinese  patrons;  and  strange 
to  say,  the  whites  are  accommodated  at  cheaper 
rates  than  the  Chinese.  In  plying  their  vocation, 
if  these  girls  fail  to  attract,  or  refuse  to  receive 
company  and  make  money,-  the  old  mistress, 
whom  they  call  "mother,"  beats  and  pounds 
them  with  sticks  of  fire-wood,  pulls  their  hair, 
treads  on  their  toes,  starves  them,  and  torments 
and  punishes  them  in  every  cruel  way.  Case  after 
case  of  this  kind  has  escaped  their  clutches  and 
found  refuge  in  the  Methodist  Mission  House. 
They  have  sometimes  come  with  arms,  legs,  and 
body  bruised,  swollen  and  sore,  from  the  inhuman 
treatment  received  because  they  failed  to  make 
money  for  their  vile  mistress.  Girls  in  the  act 
of  escaping  have  been  caught  and  forced  back  by 


CHINESE  WOMEN.  1 57 

white   men  feed  by  the    infamous  wretches  who 
conduct  this  dreadful  business. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  municipal  gov 
ernment  could  stop  this  traffic,  and  suppress 
this  whole  system  of  public  prostitution  among 
the  Chinese,  and  whites  also,  if  it  desired  to  do 
so.  The  trouble  is,  that  a  majority  of  those  who 
compose  our  municipal  government  consider  pub 
lic  prostitution  a  necessary  evil,  rather  to  be  reg 
ulated  than  to  be  suppressed,  and  hence  no  ener 
getic  effort  has  been  made  in  this  city  to  suppress 
this  evil.  To  wage  a  war  against  Chinese  pros 
titution  while  granting  immunity  to  all  others 
is  as  absurd  as  it  is  unjust.  No  wonder  that 
the  president  of  one  of  the  six  companies  said 
to  Mayor  Bryant  in  answer  to  his  vigorous  con 
demnation  of  Chinese  prostitution,  "Yes,  yes; 
Chinese  prostitution  is  bad.  What  do  you  think 
of  German  prostitutes,  French  prostitutes,  Span 
ish  prostitutes,  and  American  prostitutes?  Do 
you  think  them  very  good?"  If  the  Chinaman 
had  been  versed  in  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  he  might 
have  well  answered,  "First  cast  out  the  beam  out 
of  thine  own  eye ;  and  then  shalt  thou  see  clearly 
to  cast  out  the  mote  out  of  thy  brother's  eye." 


158  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

MISSIONARY    EFFORT    AMONG   THE    CHINESE    IN 
AMERICA. 

THE  coming  of  so  many  idolaters  to  this 
Christian  land  has  brought  new  and  grave 
responsibilities  upon  the  Christian  Church.  The 
heathen,*  for  whose  conversion  to  Christianity 
the  Church  has  long  been  praying — the  heathen 
to  whom  the  Church  has  occasionally  sent  a  repre 
sentative,  a  messenger,  a  missionary  of  the  blessed 
Gospel — one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  of  those 
very  heathen,  God  has  now,  by  his  most  won 
derful  providence,  brought  to  these  Christian 
shores,  to  these  United  States  of  America.  There 
is  reason  to  believe  that  the  Church  at  large  in 
America  has  not  clearly  appreciated  the  situa 
tion  ;  has  not  correctly  interpreted  providential 
indications;  has  not  carefully  measured  the  re 
sponsibility  which  God  has  thrust  upon  her. 
While  the  principal  attention  of  the  Church  has 
been  directed  to  the  far-away  "pagodas  and  ze 
nanas  and  decaying  heathenism  of  India,"  and 
she  has  been  sending  her  sons  and  daughters  in 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  159 

force  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  waiting  Hin 
doos — subjects  of  a  Christian  government — God 
himself,  in  spite  of  the  counsels  of  men,  has 
been  bringing  Chinese  heathen  in  tens  and  scores 
of  thousands,  and  planting  them  upon  this  Chris 
tian  soil.  And  these  heathen,  without  let  or  hin- 
derance,  have  here  erected  their  temples  and  al 
tars  of  idolatry,  and  have  instituted  in  the  heart 
of  all  the  towns  and  cities  of  the  Pacific  Coast  the 
worship  of  gods  made  with  men's  hands.  Now 
and  then,  here  and  there,  a  voice  of  warning  has 
been  raised.  The  providential  indications  of  a 
providential  demand  upon  American  Christians 
to  expend  their  effort  more  largely  upon  China 
and  the  Chinese  have  been  plainly  pointed  out. 
But  the  ear  of  the  Church  has  been  dull  of  hearing. 
The  popular  current  has  been  turned  in  another 
direction,  and  lately  it  has  even  been  suggested 
that  the  most  efficient  way  to  evangelize  the  four 
hundred  millions  of  Chinese  heathen  is  to  mass 
the  combined  missionary  force  of  the  world  upon 
the  heathenism  of  India! 

On  the  Pacific  Coast,  where  these  Chinese 
idolaters  have  gathered  in  force,  Protestant  Chris 
tianity  has  had  its  hands  and  heart  full  in  trying 
to  reach  and  save  the  English-speaking  people 
who  have  rushed  to  this  new  El  Dorado.  The 
country  has  been,  and  still  is,  comparatively 


160  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

new.  Society  has  been  somewhat  unsettled. 
Adventurers  and  persons  of  questionable  charac 
ter  from  all  lands  have  flocked  to  California.  The 
excitements  incident  to  the  discovery  of  new  and 
rich  mines  of  gold  and  silver  have  kept  the  peo 
ple  in  a  restless,  feverish  state  of  mind.  Until 
quite  recently,  the  majority  of  the  people  have 
not  been  permanent  residents  in  any  fixed  local 
ity  ;  but  have  been  transient,  moving  now  here 
and  now  there,  all  hoping  and  intending  to  make 
a  little  fortune  and  then  go  home ;  for  these  rea 
sons  the  whole  Pacific  Coast  has  been,  and  still 
is,  to  a  great  extent,  missionary  ground.  The 
Church,  instead  of  depending  upon  her  members 
in  California  to  do  aggressive  missionary  work, 
has  found  it  necessary  to  expend  men  and  money 
in  gathering  the  scattered  members  of  her  com 
munion  together,  and  organizing  them  into 
Churches  throughout  the  land.  The  great  ex 
pense  also  attendant  upon  all  aggressive  opera 
tions  in  California  has  had  a  tendency  to  retard 
the  Church  in  her  efforts  to  reach  the  heathen 
among  us.  And  yet  the  Christian  people  of 
California,  and  the  Church  at  large,  have  not  been 
altogether  unmindful  of  their  obligations  to  these 
idolaters,  nor  altogether  indifferent  to  the  prov 
idential  opportunities  which  God  has  placed  in 
their  way. 


MISSIONARY    EFFORT.  l6l 

Very  early  in  the  history  of  California  as  a 
State ;  very  early  in  the  history  of  this  Chinese 
immigration  ;  at  a  time  when  the  Chinaman  was 
welcomed  by  all  classes,  as  early  as  1852,  through 
the  agency  and  influence  of  Rev.  William  Speer, 
the  Christian  people  of  San  Francisco,  of  all  de 
nominations,  joined  together  and  purchased  a 
property  and  erected  a  substantial  building  on  the 
corner  of  Stockton  and  Sacramento  Streets,  for 
the  use  of  a  Protestant  mission  among  the  Chi 
nese  in  America.  The  property  was  owned  and 
controlled  for  a  time  by  a  committee  of  citizens, 
but  was  finally  passed  over  to  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Missions  on  condition  that  the  Board 
should  assume  the  mortgage  and  continue  the 
mission.  Mr.  Speer  had  been  a  missionary  to 
the  Chinese  in  Canton,  from  which  city  and  sur 
rounding  country  all  the  Chinese  in  the  United 
States  have  come — and  was  the  first  Christian 
Missionary  to  the  Chinese  in  America.  In  Can 
ton  he  had  acquired  the  dialect  of  the  Chinese 
.who  had  come  to  California,  and  was  able  to  con 
verse  with  them  quite  fluently  in  their  own  lan 
guage.  By  his  intellectual  ability  and  beautiful 
Christian  Character,  Mr.  Speer  won  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  all  classes  in  California,  and  en 
joyed  the  almost  unbounded  confidence  of  the 

Chinese   people.      He   was    indefatigable   in    his 
ii 


162  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

labors ;  not  only  in  direct  methods  of  evangelism, 
but  in  all  ways,  devoted  himself  with  untiring  en 
ergy  to  the  work  of  developing,  enlightening  and 
blessing  these  heathen  among  us.  For  a  while 
he  edited  and  published  a  newspaper  in  the  Chi 
nese  language  for  free  circulation  among  the  Chi 
nese  people,  and  in  1856  he  prepared  a  memorial 
of  some  forty  pages,  and  also  other  pamphlets, 
to  the  Legislature  of  California,  reviewing  the 
whole  Chinese  question,  and  pleading  for  a  re 
duction  of  the  excessive  and  class  taxation,  then 
imposed  upon  Chinese  miners. 

In  1853  Mr.  Speer  organized  a  small  Chinese 
Church — the  first  in  America ;  but  on  the  failure 
of  his  health  and  departure  for  the  East,  the 
Church  was  disbanded,  some  of  the  members  re 
turning  to  China  ;  and  two  or  three  who  remained 
took  their  Church  letters  and  joined  the  First  Pres 
byterian  Church  in  San  Francisco.  In  1859  RCV- 
A.  W.  Loomis  took  charge  of  this  mission,  re 
organized  the  Church,  and  has  continued  in 
charge  until  now.  During  the  last  few  years  he 
has  been  most  efficiently  aided  by  Rev.  I.  M. 
Condit  and  wife.  Mr.  Loomis  had  spent  seven 
years  as  missionary  to  the  Chinese  in  Ningpo, 
and  consequently  had  some  acquaintance  with 
the  character  of  the  Chinese  and  their  written 
language,  but  the  spoken  dialects  of  Ningpo  and 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  163 

Canton  are  so  widely  different  that  Mr.  Loomis 
was  compelled  to  commence  and  study  the  Can 
ton  dialect  de  novo.  This  he  has  done  with  con 
siderable  success,  and  by  his  uniform  gentlemanly 
conduct,  as  well  as  by  his  recognized  scholarly 
ability,  commands  the  esteem  and  respect  of  all 
who  know  him.  Though  quiet  and  unostenta 
tious,  he  is  widely  and  favorably  known  among 
the  Chinese  population  as  their  friend  and  coun 
selor.  This  Presbyterian  mission  under  Dr.  Loo- 
mis  and  Mr.  Condit  is  the  oldest  and  one  of  the 
strongest  and  most  successful  missions  of  the 
Christian  Church  among  the  Chinese.  Regular 
religious  services  in  the  Chinese  language  are 
held  at  the  Mission  House  on  Sundays  and  on 
Wednesday  evenings.  These  services  are  well 
attended  by  the  members  of  the  Chinese  Church, 
their  friends,  and  the  scholars  of  the  evening- 
schools,  and  on  Sunday  evenings  enough  stran 
gers  come  in  to  fill  the  house;  but  the  Mission 
House  is  too  far  removed  from  Chinatown  proper 
to  attract  the  crowds  of  indifferent,  careless  hea 
then  from  their  lazy  rambles  on  the  street.  Up 
to  this  time,  this  mission  has  not  succeeded  in 
obtaining  a  suitable  place  for  street  or  bazaar 
preaching  to  the  Chinese.  Dr.  Loomis  and  Mr. 
Condit,  however,  have  been  faithful  and  persist 
ent  in  visiting  among  the  Chinese  in  their  shops 


164  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

and  factories,  and  sometimes  find  a  favorable  op 
portunity  to  converse  with  the  workmen. 

Great  embarrassment  attends  this  method  of 
preaching  the  Gospel  to  this  people,  and  one 
great  and  urgent  need  of  this  mission  to-day  is  a 
chapel  in  Chinatown  for  the  constant  preaching 
of  the  Gospel.  Several  native  Christian  colpor 
teurs  are  constantly  employed  in  different  parts 
of  the  State,  distributing  Christian  books  and 
conversing  with  the  people.  The  missionaries 
also  make  occasional  visits  to  different  parts  of 
the  country,  preaching  to  the  Chinese  as  op 
portunity  offers.  This  Mission  conducts  a  large 
and  flourishing  evening  school  in  San  Francisco, 
for  teaching  the  Chinese  our  language  and  relig 
ion,  and  has  a  number  of  branch  schools  in  differ 
ent  parts  of  the  State,  with  a  total  average  at 
tendance  of  one  hundred  and  eighty-five.  It  has 
lately  also  opened  an  Asylum  or  Home  for  res 
cuing  poor,  distressed  Chinese  women,  some 
thing  after  the  plan  adopted  by  the  Methodist 
Mission  some  years  previous.  Some  twenty-five 
women  have  already  sought  refuge  and  help  in 
this  Home.  Three  of  these,  at  their  own  request, 
have  been  sent  back  to  China.  Five  have  been 
married.  There  is  also  a  school  for  children, 
sustained  by  an  undenominational  society  of  la 
dies,  but  standing  in  closer  relationship,  perhaps, 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  165 

with  this  mission  than  with  any  other.  It  was 
established  by  the  late  Mrs.  C.  H.  Cole,  and 
continued  under  her  care  up  to  the  time  of  her 
death,  on  the  /th  of  January  last.  Her  last  report 
shows  forty-one  children  in  this  school,  twenty  of 
whom  were  born  in  California.  Mrs.  Cole  deserves 
favorable  mention  as  a  woman  of  deep  piety  and 
sublime  faith  ;  endowed  with  a  vigorous  intellect, 
and  highly  cultivated  ;  she  had  a  varied  experi 
ence  in  life's  battle,  but  manifested  a  wonderful 
patience  and  cheerfulness  under  a  weight  of  cares 
and  sorrow.  Now  she  rests  in  heaven.  Eighty 
Chinese  have  become  members  of  this  Church, 
five  of  whom  have  died  and  seven  have  been  dis 
missed  to  Churches  in  China.  Respecting  these 
who  are  in  regular  standing,  the  testimony  of 
those  who  know  them  is  explicit  and  unhesitat 
ing.  They  are  faithful,  exemplary,  active  Chris 
tians.  Besides  these  members  of  the  Mission 
Church,  forty-six  Chinese  have  been  received  into 
other  Presbyterian  Churches;  namely,  three  at 
Marysville,  four  at  San  Leandro,  four  at  Santa 
Barbara,  nine  at  San  Jose,  twelve  at  Sacramento, 
and  fourteen  at  Oakland.  Besides  those  who 
have  become  Church  members,  there  are  con 
nected  with  this  mission  about  fifteen  who  are 
believed  to  be  Christians,  but  have  not  yet  been 
baptized.  We  can  count,  therefore,  among  the 


1 66  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

results  of  missionary  effort,  as  sustained  by  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  one  hundred  and  forty  souls 
hopefully  converted  and  saved. 

The  following  brief  account  of  the  Baptist 
missionary  work  appeared  quite  lately  in  a  San 
Francisco  paper,  and  has  been  indorsed  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Francis  as  a  correct  and  satisfactory  ac 
count  of  the  Baptist  work  among  the  Chinese  in 
America: 

''As  early  as  1854  a  mission  was  started  in 
Sacramento  by  Rev.  J.  L.  Shuck,  who  had  been 
a  missionary  at  Canton,  but  was  then  pastor  of 
the  Baptist  Church  in  that  city.  He  built  a 
chapel  and  organized  a  Church  of  converted  Chi 
nese,  but  when  he  returned  to  the  East  the  work 
ceased.  Among  his  converts  was  Wong  Min, 
who,  on  returning  to  Canton,  attracted  the  atten 
tion  of  missionaries  there  by  his  earnest  and 
eloquent  street  preaching,  and  became  pastor  of 
a  native  Baptist  Church  in  that  city.  He  died 
about  two  years  ago,  greatly  lamented,  but  left 
a  son,  a  very  promising  preacher,  to  take  up  the 
work  that  he  laid  down.  The  present  Baptist 
Mission,  located  at  829  Washington  Street,  was 
begun  in  1870.  It  is  now  in  charge  of  Rev. 
John  Francis.  It  is  sustained  by  an  annual  ex 
penditure  of  about  two  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars.  The  average  attendance  at  its  school  is 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  l6/ 

about  one  hundred,  and  it  has  the  name  of  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  Chinese  upon  its 
rolls.  It  has  a  library  of  five  hundred  volumes, 
in  Chinese  and  English.  Fifteen  have  been  re 
ceived  into  Baptist  Churches  through  its  efforts, 
of  whom  five  are  members  of  the  first  Church  in 
this  city,  and  seven  of  that  in  Oakland.  There 
are  now  six  inquirers  and  three  candidates  for 
baptism.  Three  Christian  Chinese  connected 
with  this  mission  have  died.  The  first  of  these 
was  probably  the  first  of  his  nation  who,  on  this 
continent,  received  Christian  burial.  This  mis 
sion  has  a  branch  at  Portland,  Oregon,  which 
has  been  remarkably  successful.  Dong  Gong 
preaches  to  his  countrymen  there — a  man  who 
was  thrown  into  the  river  at  Canton  by  his  own 
father  because  he  would  not  renounce  the  Chris 
tian  faith.  It  may  be  that  in  days  past  the  Bap 
tist  Churches  of  the  State  have  failed  to  yield  to 
this  mission  all  the  sympathy  and  support  that  it 
needed  and  deserved,  but  in  their  last  conven 
tion  the  expressions  of  confidence  and  of  inter 
est  were  as  hearty  as  could  be  desired. ' ' 

One  of  the  men  who  have  died  from  this  mis 
sion  was  Mr.  Fung,  who  came  from  China  for 
the  express  purpose  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to 
his  countrymen  in  California.  He  was  an  elo 
quent  speaker  of  the  Chinese  language,  and  held 


168  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

large  audiences  on  the  street  to  listen  to  his 
proclamation  of  the  doctrines  of  Jesus.  Rev.  Mr. 
Graves,  Baptist  missionary  from  Canton,  while 
in  this  country  for  his  health,  spent  some  six 
months  in  active  missionary  work  among  the 
Chinese  in  San  Francisco.  Rev.  Mr.  Simmons, 
also  from  the  Baptist  Mission  in  Canton,  spent 
about  two  years  in  charge  of  this  mission  work. 
These  gentlemen,  having  acquired  a  knowledge 
of  the  Canton  dialect  in  China,  were  able  to  con 
verse  and  preach  fluently  in  the  language  of  the 
Chinese  here.  This  made  their  labors  especially 
efficient. 

I  can  not  refrain  from  referring  just  here  to 
what  seems  to  be  blindness  on  the  part  of  the 
Baptist  Missionary  Society  in  America.  The 
First  Baptist  Church  of  San  Francisco,  a  large 
and  commodious  building,  one  of  the  first,  and  for 
a  long  time  one  of  the  most  popular  Protestant 
Churches  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  was  situated  on 
Washington  Street,  just  on  the  verge  of  China 
town.  As  the  Chinese  population  increased  and 
began  to  swarm  on  Washington  Street,  this 
church  became  less  and  less  available  for  the  use 
of  an  English-speaking  congregation,  but  every 
day  became  better  and  better  adapted  for  a  Chi 
nese  Mission  House — better  located  for  this  pur 
pose  than  the  property  that  any  other  Church 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  169 

had  been  able  to  secure.  The  trustees  of  the 
Church,  and  the  Baptists  of  San  Francisco  saw 
the  providential  indications,  and,  while  regretting 
the  necessity  of  leaving  their  temple  of  worship 
and  commencing  anew  in  some  other  locality, 
they  rejoiced  that  their  house  might  still  con 
tinue  to  be  a  temple  of  the  living  God,  and  be 
used  as  a  strong  fortress  of  the  blessed  Gospel 
to  stay  the  tide  of  heathenism  and  idolatry  which 
was  beginning  to  surge  all  around  it.  The  prop 
erty  was  valued  at  $35,000;  but  the  trustees, 
willing  and  anxious  to  do  their  part  in  this  good 
work,  offered  the  property  to  the  Baptist  Mission 
ary  Society  for  a  Chinese  Mission,  at  $25,000. 
But  the  Society  strangely,  and,  as  it  seems  to  us, 
blindly,  declined  to  accept  the  offer  and  under 
take  the  work.  The  heathen  themselves  became 
purchasers,  and  what  was  lately  the  First  Bap 
tist  Church  of  San  Francisco  is  now  a  crowded 
Chinese  tenement  house,  full  of  all  manner  of 
filthiness,  shame,  and  sin.  Where  but  lately  was 
the  altar  of  the  living  God,  now  smokes  the  in 
cense  of  idolatry.  That  sacred  temple  where 
once  the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise  to  God  was 
heard,  now  echoes  with  idolatrous  chants  and 
bacchanalian  songs.  Instead  of  standing  firm 
against  these  incoming  hosts  of  idolatry  and  sin, 
the  Church  of  Christ  has  beaten  an  ignominious 


I/O  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

retreat,  has  surrendered  without  a  struggle  one 
of  her  strongest  fortifications,  and  retreated  in 
disorder  before  the  swarming  hosts  of  idolatry — 
a  burning  shame,  a  standing  reproach  to  Chris 
tianity  in  general,  and  to  the  Baptist  Missionary 
Society  in  particular.  Perhaps  that  Society 
thought  that  it  could  do  more  toward  Christian 
izing  the  Chinese  in  America  by  sending  the 
money  and  men  to  India,  than  by  expending 
their  strength  directly  upon  the  Chinese  here  ! 

The  following  account  of  the  work  done  by 
the  Congregationalists  was  prepared  by  Rev.  W. 
C.  Pond,  Secretary  of  the  California  Chinese  Mis 
sion  of  the  Congregationalist  Church : 

"The  California  Chinese  Mission,  Auxiliary 
to  the  American  Missionary  Association,  is  the 
organization  under  which  the  Congregational 
Churches  prosecute  their  work  among  this  peo 
ple.  The  Central  Mission  House  is  at  No  5 
Brenham  Place,  overlooking  the  Plaza.  It  has 
schools  also  on  Mission  Street  near  Twelfth,  and 
in  Bethany  Chapel,  Bartlett  Street  near  Twenty- 
fifth.  Besides  these,  it  has  schools  in  Los  An 
geles,  Oakland,  Oroville,  Sacramento,  Santa  Bar 
bara,  and  Stockton.  During  the  year  ending 
September  I,  1875,  more  than  1,800  Chinese  at 
tended  these  schools  for  a  longer  or  shorter  pe 
riod.  The  average  enrollment,  month  by  month, 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  I/I 

is  now  about  four  hundred  and  seventy-five,  and 
the  average  attendance  exceeds  three  hundred. 
Most,  but  not  all,  of  those  who  are  believed  to 
have  become  Christian!  in  connection  with  this 
work  are  enrolled  as  members  of  the  Congrega 
tional  Association  of  Christian  Chinese,  a  society 
organized  about  two  years  ago.  The  conditions 
of  membership,  as  expressed  in  the  constitu 
tion  drawn  up  by  the  Chinese  themselves,  are 
as  follows:  'Any  one  who  desires  to  become  a 
member  of  this  Association  must  forsake  idolatry 
and  all  bad  habits  and  must  prove  himself  to 
be  a  follower  of  Christ.  He  must  bring  refer 
ences  from  one  or  more  members.  His  name 
must  be  brought  before  the  Society  a  week  be 
fore  he  can  be  admitted,  and  he  is  received  upon 
a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  members.'  Eighty- 
seven  have  joined  this  society.  Thus  far  but 
one  has  proved  himself  untrue.  In  most  cases 
these  converts  have  not  been  received  into  the 
Church  till  they  have  been  in  this  Association 
instructed  and  tested  about  six  months.  Seven 
teen  have  united  with  the  First  Congregational 
Church  in  Oakland,  and  twenty-eight  with  the 
Bethany  Church  in  this  city.  In  connection 
with  the  schools  in  other  parts  of  the  State,  about 
fifteen  Chinese  have  given  their  teachers  reason 
to  believe  that  they  have  become  sincere  Chris- 


1/2  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

tians,  so  that  the  total  number  of  converts  in 
connection  with  this  mission  is  about  one  hun 
dred  and  two." 

The  Congregationalists  have  not  established  a 
mission  house,  and  do  not  support  an  Amer 
ican  missionary,  devoting  his  whole  time  to  the 
study  of  the  language  and  care  of  the  work, 
but  have  established  quite  a  number  of  evening 
schools  for  instructing  the  Chinese  in  the  English 
language,  after  the  plan  adopted  by  the  Presby 
terian  and  Methodist  Missions.  These  schools  are 
doing  a  good  work  and  producing  happy  results. 
Rev.  William  C.  Pond,  Pastor  of  the  Bethany 
Church,  has  general  supervision  of  these  schools. 

EPISCOPAL    MISSION. 

One  of  the  principal  workers  in  this  mission 
work,  and  superintendent  of  the  school  con 
nected  with  the  Church  of  the  Advent,  Mr.  Will 
iam  R.  Wadsworth,  makes  this  statement  con 
cerning  its  history : 

"The  Church  in  this  diocese  and  in  Ne 
vada  and  Oregon  are  under  great  obligations  to 
Rev.  O.  Gibson,  a  missionary  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  who,  in  1868,  called  upon 
the  rectors  of  the  several  Churches  in  our  city, 
San  Francisco,  and  advised  the  opening  of 
Chinese  mission  schools.  The  Church  of  the 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  173 

Advent,  Rev.  H.  D.  Lathrop,  D.  D.,  Rector, 
was  the  first  to  enter  the  field,  and  the  school 
then  opened  has  been  continued  with  zeal  and 
vigor  until  now,  not  only  on  Sundays,  but  also 
one  evening  in  the  week.  The  Episcopal  Church 
has  now  called  a  Chinese,  who  has  been  five 
years  in  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania,  and  has  been 
admitted  as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry  in  the 
Central  Diocese  of  Pennsylvania,  under  Bishop 
M.  A.  De  Wolfe  House,  to  work  as  a  missionary 
among  his  own  people  in  connection  with  the 
schools  of  Trinity  and  Advent,  and  possibly 
Grace  Church,  San  Francisco." 

THE    METHODIST    MISSION. 

In  June,  1868,  the  writer,  who  had  been  for 
ten  years  missionary  to  the  Chinese  in  Foochow, 
China,  was  appointed  missionary  to  the  Chinese 
of  the  Pacific  Coast.  After  a  close  examination 
of  the  whole  field,  in  August,  1868,  he  issued  a 
circular  containing  a  statement  of  the  case  and 
proposing  a  plan  of  operations.  We  quote  from 
the  circular: 

"Whatever  may  be  our  theories  with  regard 
to  the  migration  of  the  Chinese  to  our  shores, 
the  plain  facts  are  these  : 

"  ist.  We  have  already  some  sixty  thousand 
of  that  race  among  us. 


174  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

"2d.  Every  arrival  from  China  increases  the 
number. 

"3d.  The  manifest  tendency  of  the  late  Reci 
procity  Treaty  between  China  and  the  United 
States,  which  has  received  the  unanimous  sanction 
t)f  both  Houses  of  Congress,  and  the  approval  of 
the  President  and  his  entire  Cabinet,  is  to  stimu 
late  and  increase  immigration  from  China. 

"  Already,  then,  it  is  too  late  to  inquire  how 
we  may  shut  out  this  incoming  tide  of  Asiatics. 
The  question  of  the  hour  is, — and  it  is  an  im 
portant  one, — How  may  this  strange  element  of 
our  population  be  made  to  aid  in  the  develop 
ment  of  the  resources  of  our  country  and  to  add 
to  our  national  prosperity,  while  we,  on  our 
part,  introduce  t/iem  to  our  higher  civilization 
and  to  our  holier  faith  ?  Will  not  a  system  of 
education  in  the  English  language  be  an  efficient 
means  of  accomplishing  this  desired  result  ?  As 
a  knowledge  of  our  language  becomes  common 
among  them,  may  we  not  look  for  these  results  ? 

"  1st.  The  Chinese  will  gradually  lose  their 
clannish  proclivities,  and  more  readily  adopt  our 
customs,  our  civilization,  our  country,  and  our 
religion. 

"  2d.  This  being  accomplished  to  any  consid 
erable  extent,  the  more  respectable  class  of  Chi 
nese  will,  with  their  legitimate  wives  and  chil- 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  175 

dren,  begin  to  settle  in  this  country  as  the  land 
of  their  permanent  adoption. 

''3d.  Being  a  thrifty,  economical,  industrious, 
and  peaceful  people,  they  will  aid  greatly  in  the 
development  of  our  national  resources,  and  add 
millions  of  dollars  to  the  aggregate  wealth  of  the 
State,  which  otherwise,  as  now,  will  be  carefully 
shipped  back  to  their  native  land. 

' '  4th.  The  reports  of  those  who  return,  and  the 
correspondence  of  those  who  remain,  together 
with  the  influence  of  civilization  and  Christianity 
in  that  land,  will  gradually  arouse  the  stagnant 
mind  of  that  vast  people,  till  China  shall  gladly 
exchange  her  foolish  superstitions  and  wicked 
idolatry  for  the  pure  virtues  and  holy  faith  of  our 
heaven-born  Christianity,  and  the  higher  civiliza 
tion  which  always  follows  in  her  train. 

"In  a  work  of  such  magnitude  and  of  such 
promise,  every  Church  organization,  every  wise 
student  of  political  economy,  every  lover  of  our 
country,  every  worshiper  of  God,  will  certainly 
feel  an  interest  and  be  willing  to  aid  its  progress." 

In  the  same  month,  August,  1868,  in  his  re 
port  to  the  Annual  Conference,  he  said:  "I  have 
found  in  all  the  State  (outside  of  the  Presbyte 
rian  mission  of  San  Francisco)  one  Chinese  Sun 
day-school  only  in  successful  operation,  teaching 
the  Chinese  the  English  language.  That  school  is 


1 76  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

in  the  Sixth  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
Sacramento,  and  was  organized  in  1866  by  three 
Christian  women,  Mrs.  Carly,  Mrs.  Heacock,  and 
Mrs.  Sweetland,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  M. 
C.  Briggs,  D.  D.  That  school  stands  at  the 
head  of  a  system  of  Chinese  Sunday-schools  I 
hope  to  organize  in  many  places  on  this  Coast 
during  the  coming  year."  In  December  of  the 
same  year,  1868,.  he  issued  another  circular,  from 
which  we  quote : 

"  i.  That  the  plan  of  operations,  as  indicated 
in  the  card  and  in  the  circular  lately  published, 
is  a  system  of  gratuitous  or  cheap  education  in 
the  English  language. 

"2.  That  Sunday  and  evening  schools  in 
San  Francisco,  Sacramento,  Stockton,  and  Santa 
Clara,  in  which  about  two  hundred  Chinamen 
are  weekly  learning  to  read  and  write  our  lan 
guage,  have  already  been  organized. 

11  3.  That  our  plan  proposes  a  general  system 
of  such  schools  on  all  this  Coast,  wherever  it  is 
practicable  to  organize  them. 

"4.  That  we  believe  that  these  schools  will 
be  the  means  of  introducing  the  Chinese  to  our 
best  citizens,  of  acquainting  them  with  the  spirit 
and  genius  of  our  institutions,  and  leading  them 
gradually  to  adopt  our  higher  form  of  civilization 
and  our  purer  faith. 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  1/7 

"5.  That  we  believe  that  these  schools  will 
tend  to  cultivate  a  healthy  public  sentiment  in 
.our  own  communities  toward  the  Chinese,  thus 
securing  for  that  people  among  us  a  treatment 
more  in  harmony  with  the  real  spirit  of  our  civ 
ilization  than  they  now  receive." 

In  the  conference  report  on  the  Chinese  work 
written  by  Rev.  M.  C.  Briggs,  D.  D.,  August, 
1869,  it  is  said:  "In  August,  1868,  our  excellent 
brother,  Rev.  Otis  Gibson,  who  had  spent  ten 
laborious  years  in  the  mission  field  of  Foochow, 
China,  came  to  us  charged  by  the  Missionary 
Board  with  the  care  and  management  of  this 
great  interest.  Brother  Gibson  at  once  perceived 
that  Christian  effort  among  the  Chinese,  in  order 
to  be  successful  in  the  new  conditions  surrounding 
them,  must  mainly  be  put  forth  through  the  me 
dium  of  the  English  language.  He  was  further 
convinced  that  formal  instruction  would  have  to 
be  given  to  adult  Chinamen,  for  the  most  part, 
in  Sabbath  and  evening  schools.  With  a  prompt 
ness  and  energy  worthy  of  special  commenda 
tion,  he  set  about  exploring  the  extended  field, 
stirring  up  the  zeal  of  the  Churches,  and  organ 
izing  Sabbath  and  evening  schools  in  every  avail 
able  place.  Thus  what  had  been  demonstrated 
as  practicable  in  a  single  instance  was  made  a 
great  and  truly  glorious  work,  marking  the 


i;8  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

opening  up  of  the  most  inviting  opportunity  ever 
offered  to  a  Christian  people  to  labor  for  the 
salvation  of  the  heathen.  By  means  of  circulars, 
correspondence,  and  personal  appeals  from  the 
pulpit  and  platform,  Brother  Gibson  has  succeeded 
in  procuring  the  establishment  of  schools  in  San 
Francisco,  Sacramento,  Stockton,  San  Jose, 
Santa  Clara,  Grass  Valley,  Nevada,  Marysville, 
and  Santa  Cruz ;  also  one  in  Salem  and  two  in 
Portland,  Oregon.  These  schools  are  sustained 
by  Churches  of  different  denominations,  to  whose 
pulpits  our  missionary  has  been  given  the  freest 
access.  This  movement,  so  full  of  promise  and 
hope,  is  but  the  beginning  of  a  work  which  ap 
pears  destined  to  spread  throughout  our  country. 
Heretofore  we  have  aimed  at  the  conversion  of 
the  heathen  through  the  medium  of  their  own 
tongue, — to  us  foreign  and  exceedingly  difficult 
of  acquisition, — and  beside  their  own  altars,  with 
the  associations  of  paganism  unimpaired.  Now, 
the  preparatory  work  of  translation  having  been 
extensively  done,  an  unerring  providence  is  send 
ing  them  to  our  shores  to  be  evangelized  by  the 
use  of  our  own  language  beside  Christian  altars, 
and  amid  the  associations  of  the  Church  of  the 
living  God.  Never  before  did  the  Lord  vouch 
safe  such  an  opportunity  to  the  zeal  and  fidelity 
of  his  Church ;  and  the  interest  which  pro- 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  1/9 

fessed  Christians,  whether  ministers  or  laymen, 
evince  in  it,  is  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  tests 
of  the  quality  of  their  religious  life.  It  is  the 
abiding  conviction  of  your  Committee,  that  every 
minister,  every  Sabbath-school  teacher,  every 
professed  friend  of  Jesus,  and  every  Church  in 
its  corporate  capacity,  should  instantly  awake  to 
the  urgency  of  this  work  of  God  divinely  com 
mitted  to  our  hands."  So  much  about  the  in 
auguration  of  the  system  of  Chinese  schools  for 
teaching  the  heathen  our  language  and  our  re 
ligion. 

In  striking  contrast,  and  in  plain  contradiction 
to  the  foregoing  facts  and.  figures  will  appear  the 
statement  of  Rev.  L.  T.  Townsend,  D.  D.,  pro 
fessor  in  Boston  Theological  School,,  author  of 
''Credo,"  "Lost  Forever,"  "God-Man,"  etc., 
'who  has  lately  published  a  pamphlet  entitled 
"The  Chinese  Problem."  In  his  preface  he 
claims  to  have  enjoyed,  while  on  this  Pacific  Coast 
in  1875,  "  rare  opportunities  for  gaining  informa 
tion,"  and  to  have  "made  the  matters  involved 
in  this  pamphlet  objects  of  as  critical  study  as 
the  case  would  then  allow."  But  unfortunately 
Dr.  Townsend,  never  having  visited  any  of  the  Chi 
nese  Missions  in  California,  nor  having  made  the 
acquaintance  of  a  single  missionary  to  the  Chi 
nese  in  this  country,  has  written  more  eloquently 


l8o  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

than  correctly,  a  chapter  on  Christian  Missions 
among  the  Chinese  in  America.  On  page  sixty- 
eight  of  his  pamphlet,  we  read,  "As  early  as 
1852  or  1853,  Rev.  S.  V.  Blakeslee  proposed  to 
introduce  the  Chinese  of  California  to  the  truths 
of  the  Scriptures  by  teaching  them  English,  in 
stead  of  teaching  their  teachers  Chinese.  The 
times  not  being  ripe  for  such  a  move,  efforts 
were  abandoned,  in  the  main,  until  1870,  when 
General  C.  H.  Howard  visited  California,  under 
the  direction  of  the  American  Missionary  Asso 
ciation,  and  established  several  schools  upon  es 
sentially  the  same  plan  as  that  originated  by  Mr. 
Blakeslee.  If  we  are  not  mistaken,  this  method 
is  the  one  also  employed  in  both  the  Baptist  and 
Methodist  mission  schools." 

Now,  whatever  it  may  be  that  Rev.  S.  V. 
Blakeslee  proposed  to  introduce,  the  fact  is,  he 
introduced  nothing — and  as  to  the  Baptists  and 
Methodists  employing  the  same  plan  or  method 
as  that  originated  by  Mr.  Blakeslee,  and  adopted 
by  General  C.  H.  Howard,  the  fact  is,  that  the 
Methodists  and  Baptists,  and  the  public  gener 
ally,  never  heard  of  Mr.  Blakeslee  in  connection 
with  this  plan  till  Dr.  Townsend  brought  out  his 
articles  in  Zioris  Herald,  1875-76;  and  instead 
of  the  Methodists  adopting  General  Howard's 
plans,  General  Howard  himself  adopted  the  plan 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  l8l 

already  inaugurated  and  in  successful  operation  in 
most  of  the  Protestant  Churches  of  the  Pacific 
Slope,  some  two  years  before  the  advent  of  Gen 
eral  Howard  to  this  coast.  We  have  no  com 
plaint  to  make  just  here  and  now  against  a 
Methodist  divine  who  ignores  his  own  Church 
as  well  as  the  Baptists  and  Presbyterians,  and 
chooses  to  write  the  "Chinese  Problem"  from 
the  stand-point  of  a  single  individual.  But  the 
Methodists,  Presbyterians,  and  Baptists,  would 
be  grateful  indeed,  when  receiving  even  a  passing 
notice,  if  the  facts  should  be  examined  before 
the  statements  are  made.  A  mistake  once  set 
afloat  upon  the  popular  currents  of  the  day,  is 
difficult  of  correction. 

On  page  thirty-five  of  that  pamphlet,  we  re 
gret  to  notice  one  or  two  more  of  that  class  of 
mistakes,  that  are  so  surprising  to  those  who  are 
acquainted  with  the  facts.  Mr.  Townsend  says: 
"Of  the  Presbyterian  Mission-school  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  which  does  its  teaching  in  the  Cantonese 
dialect,  a  recent  visitor  says,  'The  house  was 
densely  packed.  I  should  say  there  were  eight 
hundred  Chinese,  mostly  young  men,  who  inva 
riably  expressed  interest  in  the  services,  which 
were  conducted  without  sensational  effort  to  ex 
cite  wonder  at  the  cost  of  solemnity.  Printed 
hymns,  part  in  English,  part  in  Chinese  hung  on 


1 82  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

the  walls.  My  eyes  beheld  with  astonishment 
the  earnestness  displayed  by  these  naturally  un- 
demonstrative  Chinese  as  they  applied  themselves 
to  their  books.''  It  is  a  pity  that  the  author 
did  not  have  time  to  call  at  the  Presbyterian 
Mission  House,  where  he  would  have  learned  at 
once  that  that  mission,  just  like  all  others,  does 
its  preaching  in  the  Canton  dialect,  and  its  school- 
teaching  wholly  in  the  English  language;  and  he 
would  also  have  learned  that  instead  of  eight 
hundred  Chinese  students  in  the  school  at  any 
one  session,  the  Mission  House  can  not  accommo 
date  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hun 
dred  scholars  at  any  one  time.  Five  or  six  hun 
dred  Chinese  sometimes  gather  together  in  the 
English  Churches  at  the  anniversary  of  one  of 
the  schools,  when  the  scholars  of  all  the  schools 
attend,  but  to  say  that  eight  hundred  Chinese 
scholars  were  in  attendance  at  one  time  at  any 
regular  Chinese  mission-school  is  putting  the  case 
considerably  stronger  than  the  facts  will  warrant. 
While  traveling  through  the  country,  endeav 
oring  to  arouse  the  Churches  to  a  sense  of  the  re 
sponsibility  to  the  heathen  in  their  midst,  the 
writer  also  gathered  funds  towards  the  erection 
of  a  central  Mission  House  in  San  Francisco,  and 
on  Christmas-day,  1870,  by  the  help  of  the  Parent 
Missionary  Society,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  183 

Church,  and  the  contributions  received  in  Cali 
fornia,  he  was  permitted  to  dedicate  to  the 
cause  of  Christian  Missions  among  the  Chinese 
in  America,  the  commodious  and  well-furnished 
Methodist  Mission  House,  916  Washington  Street. 
The  lot  is  fifty-six  feet  front  on  Washington 
Street,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  and  a 
half  feet  deep,  with  a  narrow  street  on  each  side, 
giving  three  fronts,  and  admirable  facilities  for 
liirht  and  ventilation.  The  Mission  House  is 

o 

fifty-six  by  seventy  feet,  three  stories  above  the 
basement.  The  basement  brings  in  a  monthly 
revenue  of  about  sixty  dollars.  On  the  main 
floor  are  three  school-rooms,  nineteen  by  thirty- 
five  feet,  with  folding-doors  between,  so  that  all 
can  be  thrown  together  whenever  desirable.  On 
the  second  floor  are  two  fine  school-rooms,  with 
folding-doors  between,  now  used  on  Sundays  as 
a  Chapel,  also  a  tenement  for  the  assistant  mis 
sionary.  The  third  floor  of  the  building  was  de 
signed  and  is  used  for  a  female  department,  which 
is  managed  and  its  current  expenses  largely  met 
by  the  " Woman's  Missionary  Society"  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  building  is  a  comfort 
able  parsonage  for  the  family  of  the  superintend 
ent,  and  also  a  number  of  pleasant  rooms  for 
rent,  or  for  the  accommodation  of  assistant 


1 84  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

teachers.  The  whole  cost  of  this  valuable  prop 
erty,  including  furnishing,  has  been  about  thirty- 
two  thousand  dollars ;  and  all  bills  have  been 
promptly  paid  when  due.  No  debt  has  been  incur 
red,  and  so  no  interest  money  has  ever  been  paid. 
On  the  day  of  dedication,  Rev.  H.  M.  Scuddcr, 
D.  D.,  made  a  short,  spirited  address,  and  said 
among  other  things : 

"My  sympathies  are  strong  for  this  move 
ment.  I  congratulate  my  Methodist  brethren 
upon  the  success  of  this  enterprise.  I  feel  no 
envy,  no  jealousy ;  I  care  not  for  denomina 
tional  lines  ;  in  this  great  work  we  are  one.  I 
especially  congratulate  Mr.  Gibson,  through  whose 
labors  and  influence,  Christian  effort  for  the  up 
lifting  and  saving  of  the  heathen  among  us  has 
been  quickened  into  a  new  life,  and  directed 
into  a  new  but  practical  channel  in  all  the  Prot 
estant  Churches  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  through 
whose  push  and  energy  and  perseverance  this 
beautiful  and  commodious  Mission  House  has 
been  erected.  More  especially  so,  as  I  under 
stand  that  this  building,  standing  as  it  does  on  a 
hill,  can  look  out  all  over  the  city  and  into  every 
man's  face  and  say,  '  I  am  an  honest  building, 
my  bills  are  all  paid. ' ' 

The  evening  schools  were  at  once  opened,  and 
have  been  continued  ever  since,  increasing  slowly 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  185 

but  certainly  in  numbers  and  influence  from  year 
to  year.  The  first  year  the  average  attendance 
was  twenty-five;  last  year,  eighty.  The  schools 
are  opened  in  the  evening  because  most  of  the 
Chinese  are  employed  during  the  day,  and  the 
evening  is  the  only  time  they  can  spare  to  attend 
school.  The  scholars  are  of  all  ages  from  eight 
to  thirty-five  years,  and  of  all  grades  of  intellect, 
from  exceedingly  stupid  to  exceedingly  keen  and 
intelligent.  I  have  known  a  few  of  these  schol 
ars,  by  faithful,  constant  study  in  these  evening 
schools  for  three  or  four  years,  to  become  quite 
as  intelligent  as  thousands  of  white  boys  of  the 
same  age  with  far  better  advantages.  The  schol 
ars  of  this  Mission-school  now  occupy  four  pleas 
ant  school-rooms,  employing  five  teachers.  The 
teachers  receive  twenty-five  dollars  a  month  sal 
ary.  The  scholars  are  graded  as  far  as  possible 
into  classes  and  uniform  class-books  are  used. 
Of  course,  the  primary  classes  are  always  the 
largest.  The  book  used  in  the  primary  classes 
is  an  illustrated  lesson  book,  entitled,  "Jacobs's 
Reader,"  prepared  expressly  for  the  deaf  and 
dumb.  The  more  advanced  classes  study  Arith 
metic,  geography,  grammar,  and  history.  Relig 
ious  instruction  is  interspersed  in  all  the  lessons 
as  far  as  practicable,  and  the  school  is  always 
closed  with  Christian  song  and  prayer.  This  is 


1 86  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

the  only  Chinese  school  in  which  the  scholars 
are  expected  to  pay  tuition.  The  nominal  sum 
of  one  dollar  a  month  is  charged,  but  it  is  left 
optional  with  the  pupil  whether  to  pay  or  not. 
The  first  year  about  two  hundred  and  thirty  dol 
lars  were  received  in  this  way;  the  last  year 
four  hundred  and  forty-six  dollars.  The  follow 
ing  account  of  the  Anniversary  Exercises  of  this 
mission  school,  written  by  Miss  Lizzie  K.  Persh- 
ing,  of  Pittsburg,  will  give  the  reader  a  general 
idea  of  the  result,  so  far  as  education  is  con 
cerned,  not  only  of  this  school,  but  also  of  other 
mission  schools,  for  they  are  all  much  alike  in 
their  processes  and  results: 

' '  ANNIVERSARY    EXERCISES. 

"On  last  Wednesday  evening,  the  Powell 
Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  crowded 
on  the  occasion  of  the  Fourth  Anniversary  of  the 
Chinese  Mission  School,  O.  Gibson,  Superintend 
ent.  The  audience  was  composed  principally  of 
Chinamen  with  a  sprinkling  of  Americans.  At 
seven  o'clock,  the  exercises  were  opened  with 
prayer  by  Rev.  E.  Z.  Simmons,  of  the  Baptist 
Mission. 

''The  programme  consisted  of  music,  declama 
tions,  and  original  addresses,  by  the  pupils  of 
the  school.  There  was  no  attempt  at  brilliancy, 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  l8/ 

but  we  were  strongly  impressed  with  the  appro 
priateness  of  the  selections.  The  time  and  labor 
of  the  teachers  had  evidently  not  been  devoted  to 
getting  up  an  exhibition;  but  each  one  who  took 
part  in  the  entertainment  had  learned  something 
which  would  be  of  permanent  benefit  to  him. 
The  labor  which  must  have  been  expended  in 
committing  to  memory  the  speeches  and  dia 
logues,  and  acquiring  so  good  a  pronunciation  of 
a  foreign  language,  certainly  speaks  well  for  the 
zeal  of  the  pupils  and  the  patience  of  the  teach 
ers.  Although,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  the 
exercises  were  all  good,  we  were  especially 
pleased  with  the  'Conversation  in  History,'  and 
the  original  addresses.  The  '  Conversation  in 
History, 'was  by  six  young  men.  The  first  told 
us  of  the  discovery  of  America;  the  second  talked 
to  the  audience  about  the  American  Indians ; 
the  third  told  what  he  had  learned  of  the  early 
settlement  in  this  country ;  the  fourth  spoke 
of  the  Revolutionary  war;  the  fifth  gave  a  few 
brief  sketches  of  the  heroes  of  the  Revolution; 
the  last  recited  a  short  account  of  the  late  war 
and  the  abolition  of  slavery.  This  conversation 
was  not  misnamed.  The  young  men  talked  to 
us  in  an  easy,  conversational  manner.  The  lan 
guage  of  their  sketches  was  simple,  and  they 
evidently  understood  what  they  were  talking 


1 88  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

about.  We  are  sure  that  they  are  all  prepared 
to  converse  intelligently  on  the  main  points  in 
the  history  of  the  country  which  they  have  made 
their  temporary  home. 

"The  original  addresses  were  four  in  number, 
and  were,  Mr.  Gibson  assured  us,  written  by  the 
young  men  who  delivered  them.  The  thoughts 
were  entirely  their  own  ;  he  had  merely  made 
some  correction  in  grammatical  construction,  as 
all  our  teachers  do  for  their  English  pupils.  No 
candid  mind  could  doubt  the  truthfulness  of 
this  statement;  for,  although  the  addresses  con 
tained  many  good  things  and  gave  evidence  of 
careful  study  and  earnest  thought,  the  majority 
of  the  ideas  were  unmistakably  Chinese.  Lee 
Tong  Hay  gave  an  interesting  sketch  of  his  life 
and  first  impressions  of  California.  Chow  Loke 
Chee  treated  us  to  some  good  thoughts  upon 
the  theme,  'The  Gospel,  the  Hope  of  China.' 
Chan  Pak  Kwai  told  of  some  things  in  this 
country  which  have  greatly  interested  him ;  such 
as  the  exclusive  use  of  machinery,  the  free  school 
system,  the  good  and  just  laws  (which  he  quaintly 
remarked,  he  'should  like  very  much  if  they 
were  only  executed  according  to  their  true  mean 
ing  '),  and  best  of  all  the  glorious  religion  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

"Ma  See  spoke  of  some  things  in  this  coun- 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  189 

try  which  he  did  not  like.  In  a  modest  way  he 
struck  some  hard  blows  at  the  evils  which  are 
permitted  to  exist  here.  Some  of  the  officers 
of  the  law  might  have  listened  with  profit  to 
a  few  of  his  remarks.  We  did  not  feel  our  usual 
pride  in  our  country  and  government,  as  we 
heard  him  tell  how  he  had  been  puzzled  at  find- 
iug  here  some  things  whose  existence  in  a  civil 
ized,  Christian  land  may  well  be  perplexing  to 
a  heathen  mind.  The  feature  of  the  evening 
was  a  Chinese  hymn,  sung  by  the  author,  Hok 
Han,  to  a  Chinese  tune.  The  musician  first 
played  his  tune  on  the  flute,  and  then  sang  to  an 
organ  accompaniment  by  George  Howe.  The 
tune  seemed  somewhat  'peculiar*  to  the  ear  of  an 
'outside  barbarian,'  but  it  was  exceedingly  well 
executed,  and  the  feeling  with  which  it  was  sung 
and  the  gracefulness  of  the  few,  evidently  invol 
untary,  gestures  was  charming,  and  it  won  a 
hearty  encore.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  enter 
tainment,  Rev.  O.  Gibson,  the  efficient  superin 
tendent  of  the  school,  made  a  few  appropriate 
remarks,  after  which,  Rev.  Dr.  Loomis,  of  the 
Presbyterian  Mission,  offered  an  earnest  prayer. 
The  Doxology  was  then  sung  and  the  audience 
dismissed  with  the  benediction." 

This  mission   has  also  a  school  in  San  Jose, 
with  an  average   attendance  of  fifteen,  and  one 


190  THE  CHINESE    IN  AMERICA. 

of  about  the  same  average  attendance  in  the 
Chapel,  620  Jackson  Street,  San  Francisco,  sup 
ported  and  conducted  by  Mr.  Stowe.  The  day  • 
school  at  Sacramento,  attendance  about  twenty, 
has  been  discontinued  for  the  want  of  funds.  The 
Girls'  Boarding-school  of  this  Mission  numbers 
twenty-four.  The  total  average  attendance  upon 
all  the  secular  schools  of  this  Mission  is  about 
one  hundred  and  forty,  average  attendance  at  the 
Sunday-schools  about  two  hundred.  These  Chi 
nese  schools,  in  all  the  Missions  and  Churches, 
are  proving  to  be  powerful  agencies  in  molding 
the  changing  civilization  of  the  Chinese  in  Amer 
ica.  A  large  majority  of  the  Chinese  who  have 
embraced  the  Christian  religion  have  been  devel 
oped  in  these  schools.  And,  although  the  schol 
ars  do  not  all  become  avowed  Christians,  yet  they 
nearly  all  lose  faith  in  their  idols,  and  in  theory 
embrace  the  doctrine  of  one  true  and  living  God, 
the  Creator  and  preserver  of  all  things. 

The  following  is  a  quotation  from  an  original 
address  in  the  English  language  by  a  young  man 
of  this  latter  class,  named  Ma  See: 

"To  my  mind  it  is  very  evident  that  no  one 
has  any  right  to  drive  the  Chinese  from  this 
country;  nor  any  right  to  prevent  the  Chinese 
from  still  coming  here,  if  they  wish  ta  come. 
If  this  world  was  created  by  the  one  universal 


MISSIONARY    EFFORT.  19! 

God ;  if  it  belongs  to  God  ;  if  men  are  all  cre 
ated  equal;  if  all  men  come  from  one  family; 
if  these  things  be  so,  and  they  are  so,  then  the 
Chinese,  of  course,  have  the  same  right  to  come 
to  this  land,  and  to  occupy  this  land,  that  the 
people  of  any  other  nation  have.  For  America 
is  not  given  to  Americans  alone,  China  not  to 
the  Chinese  alone,  England  not  to  the  English; 
but  all  these  countries  are  given  to  one  universal 
race  of  man,  which  is  sent  here  below  to  live. 
Therefore,  no  white,  no  black,  no  Irish,  no  Chi 
nese  is  excepted ;  but  every  one  of  Adam's  sons 
under  the  mission  of  God  has  a  natural  right  to 
tread  the  soil  of  any  part  of  this  world,  and  es 
pecially  of  these  United  States  of  America." 

The  following  is  from  an  original  address  of 
Chan  Pak  Kwai,  an  active  Chinese  Christian  at 
the  anniversary  of  the  school : 

' '  I  like  the  laws  of  this  country  because  they 
give  equal  rights  to  all  men,  great  and  small, 
rich  and  poor,  white  or  black.  I  like  these  laws 
if  only  they  were  executed  according  to  their 
true  meaning.  .  .  .  Races  and  nations  differ 
according  to  their  kind  and  degree  of  civilization. 
The  principal  element  of  a  true  civilization  is  a 
Christian  education.  .  .  .  But  of  the  many  good 
things  I  have  found  in  America  I  value  the  Chris 
tian  religion  most  of  all.  .  .  .  And  the  most 


192  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

precious  thing  in  the  Christian  religion  is  this, 
'That  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his 
only  begotten  son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on 
him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life. ' 
St.  Paul  says,  'For  the  earnest  expectation  of 
the  creature  waiteth  for  the  manifestation  of  the 
sons  of  God.'  Did  Paul  know  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  years  ago  that  we  Chinamen  would 
to-day  be  waiting  for  the  sons  of  God  to  manifest 
to  us  the  doctrine  and  spirit  of  Jesus  the  great 
Savior;  waiting  for  the  sons  of  God  to  make 
known  to  us,  to  proclaim  to  us,  to  manifest,  to 
example  before  us,  the  glorious  Gospel  of  the  Son 
of  God?  Now,  I  am  happy,  knowing  that  'Jesus 
died  for  me,  even  for  me.'  ' 

Although  large  numbers  of  Chinese  attend 
these  evening  and  Sunday-schools,  and  many  of 
them  make  commendable  progress;  yet  compared 
with  the  whole  population,  the  number  is  exceed 
ingly  small.  And  one  discouraging  feature  in 
regard  to  those  who  do  attend  is  the  fact  that 
just  as.  fast  as  these  boys  and  young  men  ac 
quire  a  sufficient  knowledge  of  our  language  to 
make  themselves  readily  understood  in  common 
conversation,  they  are  at  once  removed  from 
school  and  placed  in  business.  As  yet  none  of 
the  scholars  have  developed  a  thirst  for  a  higher 
education.  Fung  Noi,  of  the  Presbyterian  Mis- 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  193 

sion,  advanced  further  in  this  direction  than  any 
other  Chinese  scholar  of  the  Pacific  Coast.  He 
advanced  eagerly  until  he  commenced  the  study 
of  algebra,  philosophy,  and  chemistry,  when  he 
gave  up  the  pursuit,  and  is  now  wholly  absorbed 
in  Chinese  commercial  transactions. 

There  is,  however,  this  satisfaction,  that  in  the 
slow,  constant  friction  of  the  two  civilizations, 
every  little  helps.  The  little  smattering  of  the 
English  language  which  these  scholars  acquire 
opens  up  in  their  minds  a  door  through  which  new 
forms  of  thought  and  expression,  new  ideas  are 
constantly  entering;  and  these  new  ideas  are 
slowly,  silently,  but  none  the  less  surely,  chang 
ing  and  molding  the  civilization  of  the  heathen 
among  us.  The  total  average  attendance  upon 
all  the  Chinese  Sunday-schools  of  the  Pacific 
Coast,  including  the  Presbyterians,  Methodists, 
Baptists,  Congregationalists,  and  Episcopalians, 
is  about  one  thousand,  and  the  average  attend 
ance  upon  the  evening-schools  during  the  week 
is  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty,  but  the  attend 
ance  of  many  is  so  irregular  and  uncertain  that 
this  average  attendance  will  involve  a  total  roll- 
call  of  about  three  thousand.  Mr.  Pond's  statis 
tics  of  the  Congregational  schools  give  a  roll-call 
six  times  the  average  attendance,  but  probably 
he  included  every  transient  scholar  and  visitor. 

13 


194  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

I  do  not  attach  much  value  to  great  numbers  of 
transient  scholars,  and  would  rather  find  my  esti 
mate  of  average  attendance  and  roll-call  too  small 
than  too  large.  The  scholars  of  these  schools 
are  scattered  all  over  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  every 
where  carry  with  them  pleasing  memories  of  the 
Christian  man  or  woman  who  first  taught  them 
to  speak  our  language.  Thus  good  seeds  are 
being  sown  upon  the  minds  of  this  generation, 
which  will  doubtless  bring  forth  a  harvest  of 
fruitage  in  the  next. 

The  regular  Sunday  services  of  the  Methodist 
Mission  at  the  Mission  House  are  a  Bible  and 
catechism-class  in  the  English  language  at  eleven 
o'clock,  A.  M  ;  preaching  services  in  the  Chi 
nese  language  at  twelve  M,  attendance  from  forty- 
five  to  seventy;  Girls'  Bible-class  at  two  P.  M., 
attendance  twenty-five;  general  Sunday-school 
at  six  P.  M.,  attendance  eighty;  general  class- 
meeting  at  eight  P.  M.,  attendance  twenty  to 
thirty.  Besides  the  Sunday  services  and  the 
Wednesday  evening  prayer-meeting,  Miss  Tem- 
pleton  conducts  a  Tuesday  evening  prayer-meeting 
with  the  girls  of  the  Asylum;  and  Mrs.  Gibson 
conducts  a  Thursday  class  and  prayer-meeting  with 
Chinese  women  not  connected  with  the  Asylum. 

In  this  mission  forty-four  Chinese  have  pro 
fessed  the  Christian  faith,  have  been  baptized 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  195 

and  received  into  the  Methodist  Church,  of  which 
number  fifteen  have  been  women  or  girls  in  the 
Asylum.  Of  these  Christian  women  seven  are 
now  legally  married,  all  but  one  to  Christian 
Chinamen,  thus  forming,  in  a  small  way,  a  pat 
tern  and  nucleus  of  the  Christian  home  among  the 
Chinese. 

The  first  Quarterly  Conference  of  this  mission 
Church  was  held  December  25,  1875.  Quarterly 
Love-feasts  had  been  held  for  more  than  a  year 
previous.  These  Love-feasts  have  been  seasons 
of  unusual  interest.  As  many  as  forty  have  tes 
tified  in  an  intelligent  and  feeling  manner  of  the 
grace  of  God  in  their  salvation  ;  and  about  the 
same  number  have  joined  in  the  communion. 
Between  the  testimonies  given, the  Chinese  Chris 
tians  break  out  in  appropriate  songs  and  hymns, 
sometimes  in  the  Chinese  language,  and  sometimes 
in  the  English.  Occasionally  one  is  overcome 
with  emotion,  and  breaks  down  with  weeping 
and  tears,  while  trying  to  tell  what  the  Savior 
has  done  for  his  or  her  poor  soul.  Christian 
visitors  not  understanding  a  word  of  the  testi 
monies  given,  often  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the 
meeting,  and  express  themselves  as  interested 
and  profited  by  the  services.  There  are  at  pres 
ent  ten  enrolled  inquirers  or  probationers  con 
nected  with  this  mission.  Outside  of  the  mission 


196  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

proper  a  number  of  individual  Chinamen  have 
been  baptized  and  received  into  the  Methodist 
Churches  of  the  Coast,  that  have  never  been 
reported  to  the  mission.  Rev.  J.  B.  Hill  bap 
tized  one;  Rev.  J.  L.  Burchard,  Marysville,  one; 
Rev.  M.  C.  Briggs,  D.  D.,  Sacramento,  one; 
Rev.  F.  F.  Jewell,  D.  D.,  two.  Other  instances 
have  occurred  where  the  names  are  now  forgot 
ten,  and  the  same  is  true  of  other  denominations. 
The  number  of  such  baptisms  in  all  the  Churches 
is  probably  not  less  than  twenty. 

Besides  these  services  in  the  Mission  House, 
this  mission  daily  (except  Saturdays)  opens  the 
Chapel,  620  Jackson  Street,  for  preaching  in  the 
Chinese  language  to  the  passing  crowds  who  are 
willing  to  enter.  This  is  the  only  mission  which 
has  been  able  to  secure  a  chapel  preaching-place 
in  Chinatown  proper.  This  chapel  "Foke  Yam 
Tong  " — "The  Gospel  Temple" — is  now  \vell 
known  to  the  Chinese  population  as  the  place 
where  any  day  at  two  o'clock  P.  M.  they  can 
hear  about  the  Jesus  religion.  Here,  annually, 
for  the  last  four  years,  many  thousands  of  Chinese 
have  heard  something  about  the  Gospel  of  Christ ; 
and  we  can  but  hope  and  believe  that  some  of 
this  good  seed  has  fallen  upon  good  ground  and 
will,  in  God's  own  time,  bring  forth  fruit,  ''some 
thirty,  some  sixty,  and  some  one  hundred  fold." 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  197 

The  mission  also  conducts  a  Sunday-school  in 
this  chapel,  all  in  the  Chinese  language,  Lau 
Hok  Han,  the  Chinese  preacher  being  the  super 
intendent.  The  average  attendance  is  about 
forty.  The  Testament  and  hymn-book  are  the 
only  books  used. 

Besides  the  denominational  Christian  work  of 
the  various  Churches,  there  is  a  "  Chinese  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,"  embracing  all  the 
members  of  Presbyterian,  Methodist  and  Baptist 
Churches,  and  all  their  friends  whom  they  can 
induce  to  join.  Each  Church  or  Mission  has  its 
branch,  and  joined  together  they  form  the  one 
association,  having  its  officers  from  the  different 
Churches,  the  office  of  President  rotating  among 
the  branch  associations.  Mr.  Lee  Tong  Hay, 
who,  as  President  of  the  Chinese  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  signed  the  memorial  to 
President  Grant,  is  a  valuable  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  This  association  is  organized 
upon  the  same  plan  with  such  associations  among 
Americans,  having  both  "  active  and  associate" 
members,  and  gathering  them  from  all  denomi 
nations.  Any  Chinaman  of  good  moral  character, 
willing  to  forsake  idolatry,  and  desiring  to  associate 
with  Christians,  may  become  an  associate  mem 
ber,  having  all  the  privileges  of  other  members, 
except  the  right  to  vote.  Rev.  Dr.  Loomis  says 
of  it :  "  This  association  continues  to  maintain 


198  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

a  vigorous  life.  It  has  members  and  branch  as 
sociations  widely  scattered  over  the  country. 
Their  Constitution  contains  a  very  good  creed, 
and  their  rules  are  wholesome  and  well  enforced. 
Their  rooms  are  a  pleasant  resort,  and  at  least 
three  times  each  week  resound  with  the  voices  of 
devout  praise  and  earnest  supplication.  During 
the  holidays  they  hold  meetings  in  rotation  with 
the  brethren  of  the  different  missions,  and  also 
go  out  upon  the  streets  to  sing  and  exhort. 

SUMMARY,    MAY,     1876. 

Total  average  attendance  upon  all  the  Mission  evening 

schools  for  Chinese  (about),         ....  750 

Total  Roll  Call  (about), 2,500 

In   Sunday-schools  (average),         .....  1,000 

Roll  Call, 3,000 

TOTAL  NUMBER  OF  CHINESE  CHRISTIANS  BAPTIZED  IN  AMERICA. 

Presbyterian  Mission,     .......  80 

Presbyterian  Churches,        ......  46 

Methodist  Mission,          .......  44 

Methodist  Churches,  .......  5 

Congregational  Churches,       .          .          .          .          .         .45 

Baptist  Mission  (San  Francisco),          ....  15 

Baptist  Mission  (Oregon),       .         .          .         .          .          .  15 

Episcopalian  Churches,        ......  I 

Scattering  (not  reported),       ......  20 

Probationers  or  Catechumens,     .....  100 

For  every  professing  Chinese  Christian  we 
may  safely  reckon  as  many  as  ten  or  fifteen  more 
Chinamen,  who  from  the  same  influences  have 
been  led  to  renounce  anfl  despise  idolatry  and  in 


MISSIONARY  EFFORT.  199 

theory,  at  least,  embrace  the  Christian  doctrine 
of  one  God,  the  Father  of  all.  The  number  of 
such  results  of  missionary  labor^can  not  be  less 
than  four  or  five  thousand. 


200  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MISSIONARY   WORK   AMONG   THE   CHINESE   WOMEN 
IN    CALIFORNIA. 

TO  any  one  personally  acquainted  with  the 
facts  of  the  case,  or  to  any  one  who  has 
read  the  chapter  of  this  book  on  the  condition 
and  character  of  Chinese  women  in  this  country, 
it  needs  not  be  said  that  Christian  effort  for  their 
salvation,  from  any  human  stand-point,  presents  a 
herculean  and  almost  hopeless  task.  And,  in 
deed,  for  many  long  and  weary  years  nothing 
at  all  was  undertaken  for  their  welfare.  The 
Churches  which  had  entered  this  mission-field 
confined  their  labors  exclusively  to  the  men  and 
boys.  There  were  but  few  respectable  Chinese 
women  in  the  country,  and  these,  according  to 
Chinese  custom,  were  kept  secluded,  beyond  the 
reach  of  schools  or  chapels,  or  pastoral  visits  of  the 
missionary.  The  Chinese  courtesans  did  not  de 
sire  any  instruction  ;  but  if  they  should  desire  it, 
their  wicked  masters  would  never  consent  that 
they  should  be  instructed.  Even  if  allowed  to 
receive  instruction,  and  still  be  kept  in  their 


MISSIONARY  WORK.  2OI 

hopeless  misery  and  vile  bondage,  the  instruc 
tion  itself  would  seem  a  pitiful  mockery.  So 
Christianity  gathered  up  her  skirts  and  passed  by 
"on  the  other  side." 

It  was  left  for  the  Methodist  Mission  to  inau 
gurate  a  Christian  work  among  these  Chinese 
women,  which  has  brought  that  mission  promi 
nently  before  the  public  in  every  discussion  of 
this  constant  "Chinese  Problem." 

The  writer  maintained  that  no  missionary 
work  among  a  heathen  people  which  should  ig 
nore  or  neglect  the  women  of  the  population, 
could  expect  permanent  prosperity.  That  to  neg 
lect  the  women  in  the  ministrations  of  the  Gospel 
to  the  Chinese  would  only  tend  to  strengthen 
them  in  their  heathen  ideas  that  women  have  no 
souls  and  no  personal  rights  in  themselves,  out 
side  the  will  of  their  parents,  husbands,  or  mas 
ters.  Something  must  be  done ;  but  just  what 
to  do,  and  how  to  do  it  were  tough  questions. 
One  or  two  Chinese  women  had  already  escaped 
from  their  cruel  servitude,  and  through  the  kind 
offices  of  Mr.  Loomis,  of  the  Presbyterian  Mis 
sion,  had  found  an  asylum  in  the  Home  of  the 
"San  Francisco  Ladies'  Protective  and  Relief  So 
ciety."  In  1869-70  Mrs.  Cole  made  some  visits 
among  these  women  in  their  rooms  and  tene 
ments,  and  reported  that  there  probably  were 


202  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

others  who  would  like  to  escape,  if  they  knew 
how  to  get  away,  or  where  to  go. 

With  these  general  principles,  and  these  par 
ticular  facts,  as  a  guide,  the  writer  determined  to 
connect  a  ' 'Female  Department"  with  the  mis 
sion  work  of  which  he  had  charge.  In  July, 
1870,  a  circular  and  plan  of  the  proposed  Metho 
dist  Mission  House  was  published,  in  which  it 
said,  "The  third  floor  is  designed  for  a  Female 
Department,"  and  the  following  appeal  was 
made  to  the  Methodist  women  on  the  Pacific 
Coast : 

"  In  California,  Oregon  and  Nevada  we  have  a 
large  heathen  population.  They  are  our  neigh 
bors.  They  live  in  our  cities  and  towns;  some 
of  them  work  on  our  farms  and  in  our  factories, 
and  as  servants  are  members  of  our  families. 
Surely  the  duty  is  ours,  in  obedience  to  the 
command  of  our  Divine  Savior,  to  endeavor  to 
bring  these  heathen,  providentially  in  our  midst, 
to  the  saving  knowledge  of  Christ.  Among 
these  heathen  people  are  many  women,  and  the 
number  is  constantly  increasing.  They  live  here 
practicing  all  their  idolatrous  customs.  They 
die  here,  and  are  buried  as  the  brute  that  per- 
isheth. 

"A  society  called  the  'Women's  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  on 


MISSIONARY  WORK.  2O3 

the  Pacific  Coast/  was  organized  August,  1871, 
in  San  Francisco,  having  for  its  especial  object, 
the  elevation  and  salvation  of  heathen  women  on 
this  coast.  And  we  now  take  this  means  to  urge 
upon  all  the  Methodist  women  on  the  western 
slope  of  the  continent  to  join  with  us  in  this  ard 
uous  work,  by  forming  branch  societies.  Situ 
ated  as  we  are,  on  the  western  confines  of  our 
country,  separated  only  by  the  ocean  from  the 
vast  heathen  hordes  of  Asia,  it  is  a  matter  of 
self-preservation  (if  we  do  not  have  any  higher 
motive)  that  we  endeavor  to  Christianize  this  for 
eign  element  that  is  being  brought  in  our  midst. 
None  can  do  this  work  so  well  as  we,  and  if  we 
neglect  it  what  fearful  consequences  will  ensue, 
both  to  us  and  to  our  children  after  us,  are  be 
yond  the  bounds  of  the  most  vivid  imagination. 

"  Will  you  then,  sisters  of  the  Church,  aid  us 
in  this  work  ?  Not  only  for  self-preservation, 
but  for  the  higher  and  holier  reason  that  Christ 
has  commanded  that  the  Gospel  be  preached  to 
all  nations. 

"  (Signed)      MRS.  E.  M.  PHILLIPS,  Pres. 

"    F.  A.  MORRILL,  Rec.  Sec'y. 
"     M.  E.  M'LEAN,  Cor.  Sec'y." 

The  building  was  completed  and  formally 
opened  December  25,  1870.  But  the  four  fine 
rooms  designed  for  a  ''Female  Department"  lay 


204  ™E  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

idle  and  unoccupied  for  nearly  a  year.  In  the 
mean  time,  the  "Women's  Missionary  Society" 
undertook  a  day-school  for  girls,  but  the  effort 
was  not  a  success.  The  little  girls  did  not  care 
to  come,  and  the  older  ones  cared  still  less.  The 
mothers  did  not  encourage  them  to  attend.  The 
teacher  was  obliged  to  go  out,  and  bring  the  girls 
to  school  in  the  morning;  often  compelled  to 
wait  for  them  to  eat  breakfast,  dress,  etc.,  and 
then  she  must  go  home  with  them  again  at  the 
close  of  the  school.  Miss  Williams  was  the  faith 
ful  and  devoted  teacher  of  this  school  It  was 
an  experiment,  but  it  was  not  encouraging. 

October  20,  1871,  a  note  was  sent  by  Captain 
A.  Clark,  of  the  Police  Station,  asking  the  writer 
to  call  at  the  station  to  see  a  Chinese  woman, 
who  refused  to  talk  with  Chinamen,  but  intimated 
that  she  wished  to  see  a  missionary,  or  "Jesus 
man."  He  answered  the  call,  and  found  a  poor 
wretched,  stupid,  forlorn  looking  woman — an  apol 
ogy  for  a  human  being,  who  gave  her  name  as 
Jin  Ho,  and  simply  said,  "Do  n't  take  me  back  to 
Jackson  Street."  The  poor  thing  had  escaped 
from  a  vile  den  on  Jackson  Street,  leaving  all 
her  tinseled  jewelry  and  gay  trappings  behind 
her ;  had  run  some  six  or  seven  blocks  down  to 
the  foot  of  the  street,  and  had  deliberately  thrown 
herself  into  the  cold  waters  of  the  bay,  choosing 


MISSIONARY  WORK.  2O5 

rather  a  watery  grave  than  longer  to  endure 
her  life  of  slavery,  shame,  and  sorrow;  desiring 
thus  to  end  a  pilgrimage  upon  which  no  ray  of 
light  ever  shone,  no  star  of  hope  ever  beamed. 
A  colored  man  with  a  long  boat  hook  rescued 
her  from  drowning,  and  a  policeman  brought  her 
to  the  station. 

After  a  few  minutes'  conversation  with  the 
writer  she  desired  to  be  taken  to  the  Mission 
House.  While  on  the  way  she  frequently  mur 
mured  in  Chinese,  "Don't  take  me  to  Jackson 
Street,"  "Don't  take  me  to  Jackson  Street." 
In  six  months  from  that  time  "Jin  Ho"  was  so 
changed  and  improved  that  those  who  saw  her 
at  the  Police  Station  did  not  recognize  her.  She 
remained  about  a  year  in  the  asylum,  then  did 
service  in  a  Christian  family,  professed  faith  in 
the  religion  of  Jesus,  was  baptized  and  received 
into  the  Methodist  Church,  and  afterward  mar 
ried  a  Mr.  Jee  Poke,  a  good  substantial  China 
man,  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
with  whom  she  is  now  living  in  peace  and  com 
fort,  with  none  to  molest  nor  make  afraid,  She 
is  now  clothed  and  in  her  right  mind,  and  en 
joys  a  good  hope  of  eternal  life  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.  Such  was  Jin  Ho  ;  and  such  is 
Jin  Ho  now,  the  first  Chinese  woman  that  sought 
refuge  in  the  Asylum  of  the  Methodist  Mission. 


206  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Jin  Ho  was  the  representative  of  a  class.  Others 
soon  followed,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  se 
cure  the  appointment  of  a  lady  missionary  whose 
whole  time  should  be  devoted  to  teaching  and  de 
veloping  in  every  way  these  poor  waifs  upon  the 
bosom  of  society.  Miss  Laura  S.  Templeton, 
of  Sacramento,  was  selected  for  this  important 
work,  and  commenced  her  labors  in  January, 
1873.  She  has  proved  to  be  the  right  person  in 
the  right  place. 

The  report,  September,  1874,  says: 
'  'At  the  beginning  of  the  conference  year  there 
were  fourteen  women  and  girls  in  the  Asylum. 
Of  these  two  have  married  Christian  Chinaman. 
The  close  of  the  year  finds  eighteen  in  the  Asy 
lum.  Three  or  four  of  these  profess  faith  in 
Christ,  give  evidence  of  a  change  of  heart  and 
life,  and  are  candidates  for  Christian  baptism. 
They  all  attend  school,  taught  by  Miss  Laura  S. 
Templeton,  an  experienced  and  efficient  teacher, 
and  an  earnest  and  devoted  Christian  worker. 
The  girls  read,  write,  and  study  each  forenoon. 
The  afternoon  is  devoted  to  sewing  and  fancy 
work,  the  proceeds  of  which  clothe  the  women 
and  meet  the  incidental  expenses  of  the  school, 
such  as  books,  paper,  etc.  Most  of  the  girls 
are  ambitious  to  learn  and  have  made  consider 
able  progress  in  their  studies.  Two  have  been 


MISSIONARY  WORK.  2O/ 

baptized,  and  we  trust  are  earnest  followers  of 
Jesus." 

The  ladies  closed  their  report  of  that  year 
with  this  touching  and  eloquent  appeal: 

"It  does  seem  that  safety  for  our  own  chil 
dren  and  succeeding  generations  would  prompt 
us  to  endeavor  to  elevate  and  Christianize  the 
heathen  among  us.  And  of  all  the  darkened 
and  enslaved  ones,  the  Chinese  woman's  fate 
seems  the  most  pitiful.  Kidnaped  when  per 
haps  mere  children ;  sold  into  a  strange  country ; 
brutally  treated;  with  nothing  to  look  forward  to 
but  to  be  cast  into  the  street  to  die,  when  health 
fails,  which  is  almost  sure  to  happen  in  a  few 
years;  beaten  and  abused,  they  often  seek  refuge 
in  suicide.  Shall  not  the  members  of  our  Church 
show  to  these  poor  creatures  that  the  love  of 
Jesus  constrains  them  to  seek  the  oppressed  and 
downtrodden,  to  lead  them  to  him  who  asked 
not  what  were  our  former  sins,  but  whose  condi 
tions  were,  'Sin  no  more?'  " 

So  many  of  these  women  and  girls  escaped 
from  their  servitude  and  found  refuge  in  the  Asy 
lum,  that  the  Chinese  women  traders,  the  "Hip 
Yee  Tong  Society"  became  alarmed,  and  used 
all  their  skill  and  devilish  cunning  and  moneyed 
power  to  thwart  the  designs  of  the  mission. 
They  used  every  possible  care  and  watchfulness 


208  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

that  no  woman  should  escape.  They  reported 
false  and  fearful  stories  to  the  poor  ignorant 
women  and  girls  regarding  the  mission  and  the 
treatment  the  girls  there  received.  As  soon  as 
a  poor  thing  had  fairly  escaped  their  clutches 
and  found  safety  in  the  mission,  these  wolves 
have  sent  their  emissaries,  day  after  day,  in 
sheep's  clothing,  claiming  to  be  brothers,  cou 
sins,  or  particular  friends  of  the  fugitive  girl,  and 
asking  an  interview  of  only  a  few  minutes.  If 
the  interview  was  granted,  these  villains  would 
use  every  art  possible  to  them  in  the  range  of 
persuasion  and  promises  to  induce  the  woman 
to  return.  If  promises  failed,  then  threats  and 
superstitious  imprecations  would  be  used,  fright 
ening  the  ignorant  women  to  tears. 

If  the  woman  refused  to  go  with  them,  or  if 
these  miscreants  were  denied  an  interview  with 
her,  they  have  frequently  secured  the  services  of 
"shyster  lawyers, "  seven  times  meaner  than  them 
selves,  and  through  them  procured  a  writ  of  ha 
beas  corpus  upon  Mr.  Gibson,  or  some  of  the  lady 
managers  of  the  Asylum,  or  upon  Miss  Temple- 
ton,  the  teacher  of  the  school,  for  the  immediate 
production  of  the  woman  in  Court.  Nine  times 
during  the  last  five  years  has  this  trick  been 
played,  each  and  every  time  by  the  women-trad 
ers,  in  efforts  to  get  possession  of  the  women  for 


MISSIONARY  WORK.  2Og 

the  purpose  of  selling  them  into  the  country  be 
yond  the  hope  of  escape. 

These  Chinese  villains,  and  more  villainous 
whites,  have  taken  advantage  of  the  sacred  right 
of  habeas  corpus,  and  by  false  swearing  have  de 
ceived  and  prostituted  our  courts  of  justice  to 
become  aids  and  abettors  to  this  abominable 
traffic. 

The  writer  has  often  freely  expressed  his  opin 
ion  of  these  contemptible  lawyers  and  mock  court 
performances,  and  on  one  occasion  was  openly 
reprimanded  in  court  session  by  the  Judge  on  the 
bench,  for  remarks  which  the  judge  had  heard 
that  Mr.  Gibson  had  made  in  his  own  house.  The 
morning  paper  thus  commented  upon  the  affair : 

'  *  SHREWD    CELESTIALS. 

"  THEY    SET   THE   MACHINERY    OF    THE    LAW  IN    MOTION     AND 
GAIN   THEIR    INFAMOUS    POINT. 

' '  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  China  steamer  Colo 
rado  on  Monday,  the  police  officer  boarded  her 
and  took  into  custody  eight  Chinese  women  sup 
posed  to  have  been  imported  for  immoral  pur 
poses.  The  women  were  taken  before  the  Police 
Court,  where  six  of  them  testified  that  they  had 
come  here  of  their  own  free  will,  to  meet  their 
husbands  and  live  with  them.  They  were  al 
lowed  to  go  their  ways. 


210  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


"The  remaining  two  said  that  they  had  been 
purchased  at  Hankow  by  a  Chinese  slave  importer, 
for  two  hundred  dollars  each,  and  were  under  a 
contract  with  him  to  serve  three  years  as  prosti 
tutes  in  this  country.  They  were  sent  to  the 
Chinese  Mission  House  on  Washington  Street  for 
safe  keeping.  The  procurer  went  to  a  lawyer, 
and  induced  him  to  sue  out  a  writ  of  habeas 
corpus  for  the  possession  of  the  women.  On  the 
following  day  two  deputy  sheriffs  invaded  the 
Mission  House  and  poked  the  writ  under  the  nose 
of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gibson,  who  has  charge  of  the 
institution.  The  reverend  gentleman  was  filled 
with  righteous  indignation,  and  expressed  his 
opinion  in  forcible  terms.  His  language  was  re 
ported  to  Judge  Morrison,  who  reprimanded  him 
when  the  case  came  up  in  court. 

"THEIR  LOVERS  TO  THE  RESCUE. 

"During  the  hearing  on  the  writ  a  Chinese 
procurer,  named  Ah  Po,  testified  that  one  of  the 
detained  damsels  was  his  wife.  Another  China 
man  appeared  and  testified  that  the  other  woman 
was  sent  out  here  by  his  mother  to  become  his 
wife,  and  that  he  yearned  to  marry  her  and  be 
happy.  He  procured  a  letter  from  his  mamma 


MISSIONARY   WORK.  21  I 

\ 

to  substantiate  what  he  said,  and  proceeded  to 
read  it  to  the  Judge,  who  was  visibly  impressed 
with  the  tender  sentiments  expressed  therein,  al 
though  he  had  some  difficulty  in  comprehending 
the  dialect.  The  women  were  then  placed  upon 
the  stand.  They  corroborated  the  statements  of 
the  men  so  faithfully  as  to  leave  no  doubt  that 
they  had  been  carefully  instructed. 

"THE  HAPPY  RESULT. 

"  Under  this  showing  the  Judge  was  compelled 
to  set  them  at  liberty.  Mr.  Gibson  suggested 
that  they  be  sent  to  the  Magdalen  Asylum,  but 
Judge  Morrison  said  he  had  not  the  power  to 
commit  them  to  that  institution.  The  sweet 
Tartarian  maids  were  given  over  to  the  lovers 
they  had  braved  the  seas  to  meet,  and  in  ten 
minutes  they  were  safely  ensconced  in  a  China 
town  den  of  infamy." 

On  one  occasion,  having  been  called  to  the 
court-room  to  answer  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus, 
while  passing  through  the  room  in  open  court, 
a  tall,  hard-looking  man,  a  stranger,  about  fifty 
years  of  age,  stopped  Mr.  Gibson  in  the  middle 
of  the  floor,  when  the  following  colloquy  took 
place : 

Stranger  (in  low  fierce  tones).    "What  is  your 
name?" 


212  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Answer.    "Gibson.     What  is  yours ?" 

Stranger.  "Quint.  I  hear  you  have  some 
things  to  say  to  me  about  these  Chinese  cases." 

Answer.  ' '  Yes  ;  but  outside  the  court-room  is 
the  proper  place  for  me  to  talk  with  you." 

Stranger.  "I'll  teach  you,  Gibson,  to  be  careful 
iv  hat  you  say  about  counts  and  lawyers." 

Answer.  '  'And  1 7/  teach  you  that  Gibson  will 
say  what  he  pleases  without  asking  you.  Do  your 
best." 

Mr.  Quint  was  the  lawyer  for  the  Chinese 
women-traders,  and  probably  at  his  instigation 
the  Judge  had  reprimanded  the  writer  for  his 
strictures  upon  our  lawyers  and  court  processes. 
The  same  Quint  is  a  strong  Anti-Chinese  man  now ! 
In  every  case  of  habeas  corpus  except  one,  the 
women  have  requested  permission  to  return  to 
the  Mission  and  have  been  so  returned.  In  the 
case  of  two  girls,  taken  directly  by  the  police  from 
the  steamer  to  the  Mission,  and  brought  into 
court  by  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  immediate 
arrest  the  same  afternoon,  the  girls  requested  to 
follow  the  China  woman  who  had  brought  them 
across  the  ocean. 

As  soon  as  Judge  Morrison  came  to  under 
stand  the  audacious  game  these  heathen  were 
playing  he  declined  so  far  as  possible  to  issue 
writs,  and  more  than  once  has  severely  repri- 


MISSIONARY  WORK.  213 

manded  the  lawyers  who  have  aided  in  thus  pros 
tituting  his  court. 

These  Chinese  villains  have  been  persistent. 
When  all  other  measures  have  failed,  then  some 
Chinese  women  have  been  hired  to  come  to  the 
Mission,  claiming  to  have  been  greatly  abused, 
and  asking  to  be  admitted  to  the  Asylum,  simply 
for  the  purpose  of  influencing  the  women  to 
leave.  In  most  cases  the  deceivers  have  ex 
posed  themselves.  In  cases  of  suspicion  the  sus 
pected  woman  has  been  provided  with  a  room, 
out  of  the  sight  and  hearing  of  the  Asylum  girls, 
and  one  day  of  solitude  has  convinced  her  that 
she  had  better  go  back  to  her  den. 

But  in  spite  of  all  these  obstacles  in  their 
path,  these  poor  women  and  girls  have  been  con 
stantly  finding  their  way  by  some  means  or  other 
to  the  Mission.  During  the  last  three  years, 
seldom  less  than  twenty,  and  some  of  the  time 
as  many  as  twenty-six  have  been  inmates  of  the 
institution ,  boarded,  clothed  and  schooled  by 
the  "  Women's  Missionary  Society  of  the  Metho 
dist  Episcopal  Church  of  the  Pacific  Coast."  Sev 
enty-five  different  women  have  shared  for  a  longer 
or  shorter  time  the  privileges  of  the  Asylum. 
Ten,  at  their  own  request,  have  been  sent  back 
to  China.  Fifteen  have  become  professed  Chris 
tians,  have  been  baptized  and  received  into 


214  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Seventeen 
have  been  married  ;  seven  of  which  number  are 
married  to  Chinese  Christian  men,  and  live  in 
their  own  Christian  homes.  A  few  have  gone 
out  to  take  care  of  themselves  by  sewing,  etc. 
Twenty-two  are  now  in  the  Asylum,  a  number 
of  whom  are  inquirers  or  probationers  in  the 
Church,  though  not  yet  baptized.  During  the 
last  three  years  quite  a  number  of  Chinamen, 
who  have  formed  an  attachment  to  some  girl 
whom  they  have  been  visiting,  have  either  pur 
chased  her  of  the  old  woman,  her  mistress,  or 
from  her  master,  or,  if  unable  to  pay  the  sum 
required,  have  induced  the  girl  to  run  away,  and 
have  brought  her  to  the  Mission,  wishing  to 
keep  her  here  a  few  weeks  or  months,  and  then 
marry  her  out,  covered  with  the  protection  which 
the  Mission  tries  to  extend  to  all  those  who  have 
been  its  inmates. 

These  cases  became  so  numerous  and  trouble 
some  that  the  managers  found  it  necessary  to 
make  some  strict  regulations.  And  now  for  all 
such  cases,  the  conditions  of  admittance  are  as 
follows :  A  written  agreement,  signed  by  both 
the  man  and  the  woman,  fixing  the  time  of  re 
maining  to  at  least  one  year;  binding  the  man  to 
furnish  necessary  and  comfortable  clothing  for 
the  woman,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year,  if  the 


MISSIONARY  WORK.  215 

woman  still  wishes  to  follow  him,  he  shall  pay 
the  ''Women's  Missionary  Society"  sixty  dol 
lars,  or  five  dollars  per  month,  for  the  board  and 
instruction  of  the  girl,  and  shall  also  procure  a 
license  and  become  married  according  to  the  laws 
of  the  State.  There  have  been  some  ten  or  fif 
teen  cases  of  this  kind,  and  every  year  the  num 
ber  increases. 

But  to  the  poor  woman  or  girl  who  comes  as 
Jin  Ho  did,  to  escape  a  life  of  shame  and  sorrow, 
the  doors  of  this  Asylum  are  always  open.  One 
or  two  instances  may  be  interesting  to  the  gen 
eral  reader.  About  midnight  one  Sunday  in 
December,  1872,  when  all  in  the  Mission  House 
had  retired  except  the  writer,  the  door-bell  rang 
violently.  The  door  was  opened  and  a  Chinese 
girl  in  dirty,  ragged  clothes  rushed  hurriedly  in 
and  closed  the  door  quickly  behind  her  as  though 
fearful  of  pursuit.  She  immediately  started  to 
run  up-stairs.  I  stopped  her  and  inquired  what 
she  wanted?  She  replied  in  Chinese,  "I  want 
to  go  to  the  school  for  Chinese  girls, — my  mother 
whips  me  all  the  time,  and  I  have  run  away  from 
her, — let  me  go  to  the  school  before  they  catch 
me."  She  showed  her  arms,  all  black  and  blue 
from  the  beatings  received  from  her  so-called 
mother.  Sing  Kum  has  now  been  in  the  mission 
about  three  years  and  a  half.  Her  mistress  made 


2l6  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

desperate  efforts  to  get  her  away,  but  only  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  herself  fined  one  hundred  dol 
lars  for  beating  the  girl.  Sing  Kum  has  learned 
to  speak,  read,  and  write  the  English  language 
quite  correctly;  has  made  some  progress  in 
arithmetic,  geography,  grammar,  and  history ; 
is  learning  to  read  and  write  her  own  native  lan 
guage,  and,  best  of  all,  she  has  learned  the  story 
of  Jesus  and  his  love,  manifesting  a  change  of 
heart  and  life  and  devotion  to  Christ  worthy  of 
imitation.  She  is  already  employed  as  assistant 
teacher  to  teach  the  new  beginners  the  first  les 
sons  of  our  language,  and  is  developing  rare 
adaptation  for  the  work.  We  hope  and  trust 
she  may  be  the  honored  instrument  of  doing 
much  good  among  her  poor  country-women  in 
America. 

Little  Yoke  Yeen  is  another  instance,  but  of 
somewhat  different  circumstances.  She  came  to 
the  Mission  August  I,  1874.  She  came  alone, 
though  only  ten  years  of  age,  and  was  so  small 
that  she  could  not  reach  to  ring  the  bell.  For 
tunately  for  her,  some  kind-hearted  white  boy 
saw  her  difficulty  and  rang  the  bell  for  her,  and 
so  she  was  safely  inside  before  her  master  came. 
She  did  not  at  first  complain  of  abuse;  but  sim 
ply  said  she  wanted  to  go  to  school.  She  had 
no  father,  no  mother,  no  brother,  nor  sister,  in 


MISSIONARY  WORK.  2 1/ 


all  this  land.  Her  master  had  bought  her  in 
China  and  brought  her  to  this  country  some  two 
years  previous.  She  was  a  servant  now,  but  her 
master  was  the  owner  of  two  or  three  houses  of 
prostitution,  and  intended  to  put  her  into  one  as 
soon  as  she  was  a  little  older.  She  had  learned 
about  the  mission-school  for  Chinese  girls,  while 
standing  with  her  mistress  and  other  Chinese 
women  looking  at  the  procession  of  July  Fourth. 
One  of  the  women  had  pointed  out  the  house  to 
the  others,  and  little  Yoke  Yeen  took  notice  and 
determined  to  escape  and  ask  admission.  She 
was  so  young  and  bright  and  interesting  that  her 
advent  made  quite  an  excitement  at  the  Mission 
House.  But  in  a  few  hours  her  master  came  in 
great  anger  and  excitement.  He  was  told  that 
he  might  see  her  and  persuade  her  to  go  back 
with  him  if  he  could ;  but,  that  he  would  not  be 
allowed  to  use  any  force  or  authority  over  her. 
If  she  chose  to  remain  she  should  do  so.  He 
saw  her  and  persuaded  and  promised  her  jewelry, 
candies,  and  silks,  and  biggest  thing  of  all,  a 
rich  husband,  the  owner  of  a  big  store.  But 
little  Yoke  Yeen  was  proof  against  all  his  prom 
ises  and  persuasions.  She  clung  closely  to  the 
friends  in  the  mission,  and  answered  firmly,  "No, 
I  do  not  want  to  go  back  with  you ;  I  want  to 
stay  here."  The  man  went  away  in  a  rage, 


218  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

threatening  that  he  would  get  her  back  if  it  cost 
him  a  thousand  dollars.  But  the  ladies  took  her 
down  to  the  Probate  Court,  and,  after  Judge 
Myrick  had  heard  the  whole  story,  he  very 
promptly  appointed  the  missionary  teacher  of 
the  girls'  school,  Miss  Laura  S.  Templeton,  legal 
guardian  and  mother  of  the  little  one.  Since 
then  the  master  has  made  no  further  trouble. 
Miss  Templeton,  though  still  a  young  lady,  has 
a  family  of  nine  young  Chinese  girls,  over  whom 
the  law  has  placed  her  as  guardian  mother. 

Little  Yoke  Ycen  is  now  the  pet  and  pride 
of  all  the  girls  in  the  school,  behaves  well,  is 
improving  finely,  and  gives  promise  of  making  a 
useful  and  happy  woman.  She  now  tells  that 
her  mistress  used  often  to  bind  her  fingers  tightly 
crossed  between  chopsticks  and  pinch  the  inside 
of  her  cheeks  to  punish  her. 

On  the  8th  of  August,  1875,  a  police  officer 
brought  a  girl  (Ah  Fook),  nineteen  years  of  age, 
to  the  Mission  House.  She  had  been  in  this 
country  four  years.  She  was  beaten  by  her  mas 
ter  and  mistress,  while  a  quilt  was  thrown  over 
her  head  to  stifle  her  cries;  but  a  policeman 
heard  the  blows  and  suppressed  screams,  rescued 
the  girl,  and  took  her  to  the  station  house; 
whence  she  was  brought  to  the  Asylum.  Her 
arms,  cheeks,  and  head  were  badly  bruised,  and 


MISSIONARY  WORK.  2 19 

when  asked  on  her  arrival,  what  she  wanted,  she 
answered:    "I  want  to  die." 

When  she  was  washed,  and  dressed  in  clean 
clothing,  she  proved  to  be  a  good-looking,  bright 
girl.  Four  clays  afterward  a  friend  of  her  master 
procured  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  had  Ah 
Fook  taken  before  the  judge  of  the  Fourth  Dis 
trict  Court,  who,  after  hearing  her  story,  had  her 
returned  to  the  Mission  House,  where  she  said 
she  wished  to  go  and  stay  till  she  died.  June 
25,  1876,  this  same  Ah  Fook,  having  given  evi 
dence  of  Christian  faith  and  life,  was  baptized 
and  received  into  full  membership  in  the  Church. 
She  now  enjoys  this  life  and  a  good  hope  of 
eternal  life  in  heaven.  Mrs.  E.  C.  Gibson  has 
had  the  general  management  and  chief  responsi 
bility  in  this  Woman's  work,  and  to  her,  more 
perhaps  than  to  any  other  single  human  instru 
mentality,  is  the  very  gratifying  success  of  this 
department  of  the  work  attributable. 

As  already  stated,  this  society  was  peculiarly 
fortunate  in  the  selection  of  a  missionary,  Miss 
Laura  S.  Templeton.  And  the  constant  devo 
tion,  faith,  and  zeal  of  the  officers  and  managers 
of  this  society,  composed  of  such  ladies  as  Mrs. 
C.  Goodall,  Mrs.  R.  M'Elroy,  Mrs.  J.  R.  Sims, 
Mrs.  J.  T.  M'Lean,  Mrs.  E.  Burke,  and  others 
of  the  same  class  of  choice  spirits,  have  been 


220  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

prime  factors  in  all  the  anxieties,  toils,  and  re 
sponsibilities  which,  by  the  blessing  of  Almighty 
God,  have  produced  the  results  now  chronicled. 
The  following  is  Sing  Kum's  story  of  her  life, 
written  by  herself,  and  published  by  request  in 
the  California  Advocate. 

"  LETTER   BY  A  CHINESE  GIRL. 

4 '  Miss  B, — You  ask  me  to  write  about  my  life. 
I  can  not  write  very  well,  but  will  do  the  best  I  can. 
"I  was  born  in  Sin  Lam,  China,  seventeen 
years  ago.  My  father  was  a  weaver  and  my 
mother  had  small  feet.  I  had  a  sister  and  brother 
younger  than  myself.  My  father  was  an  indus 
trious  man,  but  we  were  very  poor.  My  feet 
were  never  bound ;  I  am  thankful  they  were  not. 
My  father  sold  me  when  I  was  about  seven  years 
old  ;  my  mother  cried.  I  was  afraid,  and  ran 
under  the  bed  to  hide.  My  father  came  to  see 
me  once  and  brought  me  some  fruit;  but  my 
mistress  told  me  to  say  that  he  was  not  my  fa 
ther.  I  did  so,  but  afterward  I  felt  very  sorry. 
He  seemed  very  sad,  and  when  he  went  away 
he  gave  me  a  few  cash,  and  wished  me  pros 
perity.  That  was  the  last  time  I  saw  him.  I 
was  sold  four  times.  I  came  to  California  about 
five  years  ago.  My  last  mistress  was  very  cruel 
to  me ;  she  used  to  whip  me,  pull  my  hair,  and 


MISSIONARY  WORK.  221 

pinch  the  inside  of  my  cheeks.  A  friend  of 
mine  told  me  of  this  place,  and  at  night  I  ran 
away.  My  friend  pointed  out  the  house.  I  was 
very  much  afraid  while  I  was  coming  up  the 
street ;  the  dogs  barked,  and  I  was  afraid  my  mis 
tress  was  coming  after  me.  I  rang  the  bell  twice, 
and  when  the  door  was  opened  I  ran  in  quickly. 
I  thank  God  that  he  led  me  to  this  place.  I 
have  now  been  here  nearly  three  years.  I  am 
very  happy,  for  I  do  not  have  those  troubles 
which  I  had  before.  I  have  kind  friends,  but 
most  of  all,  I  am  thankful  that  Jesus  died  to 
save  me.  God  has  given  me  the  Bible  to  read, 
which  teaches  me  that  'Straight  is  the  gate  and 
narrow  is  the  way  that  leadeth  unto  life. '  I  was 
very  bad  before  I  came  here.  I  used  to  gamble, 
lie,  and  steal.  Now  I  love  Jesus,  and  by  God's 
help  I  will  try  to  be  obedient,  and  do  those 
things  which  will  please  him. 

"  Yours,  truly,  SING  KUM. 

"  SAN  FRANCISCO,  January  4,  1876." 

As  we  have  already  seen,  Mrs.  H.  C.  Cole 
opened  a  day-school  in  Chinatown  for  Chinese 
girls  and  boys,  in  May,  1869,  and  continued  to 
the  time  of  her  death,  January  I,  1876.  The 
Presbyterian  women  soon  followed  the  example 
of  their  Methodist  sisters,  and  in  April,  1873, 
organized  a  Woman's  Missionary  Society  for  the 


222  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

express  purpose  of  doing  missionary  work  among 
the  poor  heathen  women  in  our  midst. 

In  March,  1874,  they  opened  a  ''Home"  on 
the  same  general  plan  as  that  already  in  success 
ful  operation  in  the  Methodist  mission,  in  which 
thirty  different  women  have  found  refuge  for  a 
longer  or  shorter  time,  three  of  whom  have  been 
returned  to  China,  and  five  have  been  married. 
There  are  ten  now  in  the  "Home." 

Mrs.  Condit,  of  this  mission,  and  Miss  Cum- 
mings,  the  teacher,  have  done  a  deal  of  hard 
work  and  very  disagreeable  labor  in  visiting 
among  these  women  in  their  rooms  and  tene 
ments,  and,  through  a  Chinese  woman  as  inter 
preter,  have  conversed  much  with  the  women 
about  their  present  condition  and  future  hopes, 
and  have  tried  to  tell  them  something  of  Jesus 
and  heaven. 


ANTAGONISMS.  223 


CHAPTER  X. 

ANTAGONISMS — 1855    AND    1856. 

IN  the  early  days  of  its  history  every  body 
came  to  California  to  hunt  for  gold.  The 
Chinese  heard  wonderful  tales  from  ship-captains 
and  sailors  about  the  rich  mines  of  gold  and  sil 
ver  on  this  coast  waiting  to  enrich  the  first 
comer.  They  readily  caught  the  fever,  and  came 
to  try  their  luck  in  digging  for  the  precious  met 
als.  Like  all  other  people  they  only  came  with 
the  intention  of  finding  a  fortune  and  returning 
to  their  native  land  to  enjoy  it.  People  from 
the  North  and  from  the  South,  from  the  East 
and  the  West,  of  our  own  land,  and  people  from 
Europe  came  with  precisely  the  same  intentions. 
The  outcome,  so  far  as  the  realization  of  their 
original  intentions  is  concerned,  has  been  about 
the  same,  on  an  average,  with  the  Chinese  as 
with  other  people.  The  Chinese  gave  the  name 
of  "The  Golden  Mountains"  to  California,  in 
cluding  in  that  name,  the  whole  Pacific  Coast  of 
the  United  States,  and  by  that  name  California 
is  still  known  among  the  Chinese. 


224  THE  CHINESE    IN  AMERICA. 

At  first  the  Chinamen  were  well  received  in 
California.  At  that  time  there  was  no  Burling- 
game  Special  Treaty,  and  yet  nobody  questioned 
the  right  of  the  Chinese  to  come  to  the  United 
States  without  special  treaty  stipulations.  They 
were  a  novelty,  a  wonder,  and  a  study,  to  which 
peculiar  interest  was  attached.  Their  coming  to 
this  country  was  regarded  as  the  opening  up  of 
intercourse  and  commercial  relations  between 
our  country  and  the  Orient,  which,  in  the  near 
future,  would  be  of  incalculable  benefit  both  to 
them  and  to  us ;  a  benefit  to  us,  by  bringing 
within  our  reach  a  large  share  of  the  commerce 
of  Asia — a  commerce  which  has  always  enriched 
the  nations  that  have  controlled  it;  and  a  benefit 
to  them  by  bringing  them  in  contact  with  a 
higher  and  better  civilization  than  their  own, 
and  thus  infusing  new  ideas  and  new  life  into  the 
sluggish  thought  of  the  nation,  and  energizing 
and  giving  new  direction  to  the  stereotyped  in 
dustries  of  the  land.  \  They  were  received  by 
our  leading  citizens  wfth  marked  consideration. 
Governor  Burnett  sent  them  a  special  address  of 
welcome.  In  the  grand  jubilee  and  procession 
on  the  occasion  of  the  admission  of  the  State 
of  California  into  the  Union,  the  Chinese,  by 
special  invitation,  took  a  part.  In  the  Fourth 
of  July  procession,  1852,  the  Chinese  also  formed 


ANTAGONISMS.  225 

a  prominent  part.  Their  display  of  numerous 
fanciful  flags  and  banners  of  the  finest  workman 
ship  of  their  people  was  the  occasion  of  much 
favorable  comment. 

In  January,  1853,  at  the  conclusion  of  a  lecture 
on  China,  delivered  in  San  Francisco  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Speer,  the  Hon.  H.  H.  Haight  offered  a  set 
of  resolutions,  which  were  unanimously  adopted 
by  a  large  and  influential  meeting: 

"Resolved,  That  the  present  position  of  the 
Oriental  nations  is  fraught  with  the  most  pro 
found  interest  to  the  Christian  world,  and  that 
we,  as  citizens  of  California,  placed  by  the  won 
derful  leadings  of  Providence  so  immediately  in 
contact  with  one  of  the  most  ancient,  intelligent, 
and  populous  of  these  nations,  hail  with  peculiar 
satisfaction  the  '  signs  of  the  times ;'  and  that 
we  feel  an  imperative  obligation  to  employ  our 
money,  our  influence,  and  utmost  effort  for  the 
welfare  of  that  vast  portion  of  the  human  fam 
ily — our  elder  brethern — the  people  of  China. 

"Resolved,  That  we  regard  with  pleasure  the 
presence  of  great  numbers  of  these  people  among 
us,  as  affording  the  best  opportunity  of  doing 
them  good,  and  through  them,  of  exerting  our 
influence  upon  their  native  land." 

But  in  a  little  while  antagonisms  arose.  The 
Chinaman's  style  of  living  was  found  to  be  less 
15 


226  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

artificial  and  costly,  more  primitive  and  simple, 
and  cheaper  than  the  white  man's  style,  and  so 
he  could  afford  to  work  a  little  cheaper  than  the 
white  man. 

"The  Annals  of  San  Francisco,"  written  in 
1854,  says: 

"In  short,  there  is  a  strong  feeling,  prejudice 
it  may  be,  existing  in  California  against  all 
Chinamen,  and  they  are  nicknamed,  cuffed  about, 
and  treated  very  unceremoniously  by  every  other 
class.  Yet  they  are  generally  quiet  and  indus 
trious  members  of  society,  charitable  among 
themselves,  not  given  to  intemperance,  and  the  rude 
vices  which  drink  induces. " 

The  white  man  demanded  four  and  five  dol 
lars  a  day  for  unskilled  labor.  The  Chinaman 
was  willing  to  work  for  half  that  pay.  This  was 
the  Chinaman's  sin.  High-priced  labor  com 
menced  a  war  against  him,  maintaining,  with 
vehemence,  that  "cheap  labor  is  a  curse  to  any 
country."  From  that  time  to  this  the  antagon 
ism  of  the  races  has  been  kept  up,  and  the  war 
has  been  fought  mostly  on  this  battle-ground. 
Other  things  have  been  dragged  into  the  discus 
sion,  but  the  weighty  charge  of  the  opposition 
to  Chinaman  has  been  the  cheap-labor  cry.  Pol 
iticians,  not  statesmen,  have  always  been  found 
ready  and  willing  to  fan  the  sparks  of  ignorant 


ANTAGONISMS.  227 

bigotry  and  prejudice  to  a  flame,  exciting  hatred 
and  animosity  against  this  people,  leading  to  fre 
quent  acts  of  violence,  bloodshed,  and  murder, 
and  to  sundry  enactments  of  special  class  legis 
lation,  both  State  and  municipal,  for  the  express 
purpose  of  afflicting  these  strangers  among  us. 

The  Legislature  levied  a  capitation  tax  of 
fifty  dollars  on  each  Chinamen  entering  the  State. 
Also  a  foreign  miner's  tax  of  four  dollars  a 
month  was  levied  upon  all  Chinese  miners.  Not 
content  with  this,  which  was  quite  sufficient  to 
prevent  any  considerable  immigration  from  China 
to  this  country,  the  opposition,  headed  by  polit 
ical  demagogues,  clamored  for  an  increase  of  tax 
ation  upon  this  people,  with  a  view  not  only  of 
checking  further  immigration,  but  also  in  the 
hope  and  purpose  of  driving  those  already  here 
back  to  their  own  country.  At  that  time  the 
majority  of  the  Chinese  of  the  country  were  in 
the  mining  regions.  • 

In  1855,  the  Legislature  passed  an  Act  in 
creasing  the  foreign  miner 's  tax,  from,  and  after 
October  I,  1855,  to  October  I,  1856,  to  six  dol 
lars  a  month;  and  from  October  I,  1856,  to  Oc 
tober  i,  1857,  to  eight  dollars  a  month;  and  so 
on,  increasing  the  license  two  dollars  a  month 
from  the  1st  of  October  each  year,  and  provid 
ing  that  no  foreigner  should  be  permitted  to 


228  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

hold  or  to  work  in  any  mining  claim  unless  he 
should  pay  his  monthly  taxes.  This  action  of  the 
Legislature  was  intended  to  accomplish  the  re 
moval  of  all  the  Chinese  from  the  mining  regions. 
It  provided  that  all  foreigners,  not  eligible  to  be 
come  citizens  of  the  United  States,  residing  in 
any  mining  district  in  the  State,  should  be  consid 
ered  miners,  and  subject  to  this  tax.  This  meant 
that  every  Chinaman,  whatever  might  be  his  oc 
cupation,  residing  in  the  mining  districts  of  the 
State,  should  pay  first  four  dollars  a  month,  then 
six  dollars  a  month,  then  eight  dollars  a  month, 
then  ten  dollars  a  month  license  tax,  and  so  on, 
increasing  the  tax  two  dollars  a  month  each  year. 
till  all  should  be  compelled  to  leave.  It  provided 
that  any  person  or  company  employing  these 
foreign  miners  should  be  held  liable  for  the  pay 
ment  of  this  tax. 

In  this  state  of  things  Rev.  Mr.  Speer,  of 
whom  mention  has  already  been  made,  came 
boldly  to  the  front  and  pleaded  the  cause  of  the 
Chinaman,  not  advocating  nor  stimulating  in 
creased  immigration,  but  defending  those  already 
here  against  the  many  highly  colored  and  false 
charges  made  .against  them.  "The  Chinese 
Question,"  at  that  time,  1856,  as  given  by  Mr. 
Speer,  in  his  memorial  to  the  Legislature,  can  not 
fail  to  be  interesting  and  suggestive  to  the  reader. 


ANTAGONISMS.  229 

After  reading  Mr.  Speer's  answer  to  the  charge 
that  the  Chinese  in  America  are  all  coolie  slaves, 
it  seems  amazing  that  the  public  press  of  Cali 
fornia,  the  religious  press  not  always  excepted, 
has  constantly  and  persistently  applied  this  false 
and  debasing  title  to  all  Chinese  laboring  men, 
implying  thereby,  and  creating  the  impression 
in  all  the  world,  that  they  are  slaves  and  not 
freemen. 

Mr.  Speer's  memorial  said: 

"The  Hindoostani  word  coolie  is  one  of  those 
inflicted  upon  the  Chinese,  in  whose  language  it 
has  no  equivalent,  and  who  have  no  caste  or  class 
which  it  represents.  It  would  be  justly  held  de 
grading  to  style  an  English  laborer,  of  whatever 
occupation  in  China,  a  coolie,  and  it  is  not  right 
to  attach  to  the  Chinese  the  odium  of  a  social 
debasement  which  is  peculiar  to  another  country, 
to  other  institutions,  and  to  another  and  most 
dissimilar  people.  Chinese  immigrants  here  are 
just  what  any  other  people  are — laborers,  cooks, 
boatmen,  farmers,  carpenters,  stone-masons,  brick 
layers,  shopkeepers,  book-binders,  weavers,  tea- 
packers,  gardeners,  and  just  what  an  equal  num 
ber  from  any  other  land  might  be  expected  to 
present  in  the  variety  of  their  occupations.  Some, 
that  speak  English  best,  have  been  scholars  in 
missionary  schools,  or  employes  in  foreign  Hongs. 


230  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Here  and  there  is  a  literary  man,  though  rarely 
seen,  and  his  accomplishments  unappreciated. 
Then,  there  is  an  abundance  of  the  vilest  classes, 
the  gambler,  the  infamous  female,  and  others 
who  prey  upon  the  unfortunate,  the  unwary,  or 
the  wanton  of  their  countrymen. 

"Again,  they  were  not  brought  here  by  capi 
talists,  cither  Chinese  or  others.  The  very  mis 
taken  notions  of  our  own  people  in  respect  to 
this  subject  arose  from  not  understanding,  as  was 
natural  enough,  the  nature  of  their  'Companies.' 
When  the  Chinese  visit  any  other  province  of 
their  own  country  in  considerable  numbers,  it  is 
their  custom  to  have  a  common  quarters,  or  ren 
dezvous,  which  they  style  an  Ui  Kun,  that  is,  a 
gathering  place,  or  company's  house.  It  is  like 
a  club-house,  in  being  supported  wholly  by  vol 
untary  contributions,  and  in  the  provision  of 
food  and  lodging  at  their  cost.  And  so  when 
they  voluntarily  migrate  to  any  foreign  country, 
in  Asia  or  America,  they  at  once  contribute  to 
erect  a  house.  Agents  or  superintendents  are 
elected,  who  register  the  members  and  manage 
the  concerns.  Servants  are  employed  to  take 
care  of  the  building,  cook  the  food,  and  attend 
the  sick.  Provision  is  made  for  the  interment 
of  the  dead,  repairs  of  tombs,  and  the  semi 
annual  worship  of  the  spirits.  And  beyond  all 


ANTAGONISMS.  231 

this,  rules  are  agreed  upon  for  the  government 
of  the  club  or  company;  and  these  are  adopted 
and  repealed  at  pleasure  in  the  most  democratic 
manner.  The  members  are  no  more  'slaves' 
than  the  members  of  an  American  fire  company, 
or  any  other  voluntary  association,  governed  by 
rules  established  by  the  majority,  and  electing 
their  own  officers  at  regular  periods.  They  have 
all  declared  that  they  have  never  owned,  imported 
or  employed  any  slaves." 

To  the  general  class  of  objections  that  the  Chi 
nese  are  no  pecuniary  benefit  to  California,  that 
they  interfere  with  American  labor,  and  that  they 
carry  or  send  all  their  earnings  out  of  the  country. 
Mr.  Speer  answered  fully,  and  again  we  quote: 

''The  Chinese  on  landing  in  San  Francisco 
usually  remain  there  but  a  few  days.  The  per 
manent  residents  in  the  city  do  not  number  above 
a  few  hundreds.  They  then  proceed  by  the 
steamers  to  Sacramento,  Stockton,  Marysville, 
and  other  points  on  the  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin  Rivers.  They  are  guided  very  much  by 
the  information  and  opinions  of  those  who  have 
been  in  the  country  the  longest,  and  had  most 
experience  here  in  the  mines.  And  it  may  be 
remarked  that  their  deference  to  those  in  whom 
they  can  confide  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
traits  in  their  character. 


232  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA, 

"The  amount  of  pecuniary  benefit  derived  by 
steamers,  sailing  vessels,  stages,  wagons,  and 
such  conveyances  of  passengers  and  goods  by 
land  and  water,  can  scarce  be  computed.  On  the 
river  steamers  they  have  traveled  by  hundreds 
on  a  single  vessel,  particularly  during  the  period 
when  their  direct  immigration  has  been  the  most 
large.  Allowing  each  individual  of  the  fifty- 
three  thousand  arrivals  and  twelve  thousand  de 
partures  but  a  single  trip  at  seven  dollars,  and 
each  of  those  here  one  downward  and  one  up 
ward  trip  during  their  residence  till  now,  which 
will  not  seem  too  great  on  the  whole,  since  many 
of  them  make  repeated  journeys  in  a  single  year, 
and  we  see  this  interest  benefited  over  a  million 
of  dollars  in  passage  money. 

"The  foreign  groceries  which  they  import 
from  their  own  land,  and  the  American  groceries, 
clothing,  and  other  merchandise  consumed  by 
them  annually,  would  pay  towards  the  sailing 
and  steam  vessels,  in  freight,  fully  in  proportion 
to  their  comparative  population.  The  drayage 
in  cities  and  towns  has  come  in  for  its  share  of 
support.  I  have  made  some  inquiries  as  to  the 
profits  of  wagoners  and  stages.  A  gentleman, 
well  acquainted  with  the  former  business  in  Sac 
ramento,  tells  me,  '  the  Chinamen  employ,  on 
an  average,  about  fifty  teams.  The  number  of 


ANTAGONISMS.  233 

loads  each  month  is  about  three  hundred  and 
twenty.  I  think  the  loads  average  forty  dollars 
each.  The  stages  probably  carry  out  and  in  to 
the  city  about  sixteen  Chinamen  a  day;  they 
pay  from  five  to  ten  dollars  each  person.  With 
regard  to  the  amount  of  goods  which  they  buy 
here,  it  is  difficult  to  give  any  kind  of  an  esti 
mate,  but  it  will  count  up  at  least  many  thousands 
of  dollars.'  If  we  understand  the  calculation, 
these  teamsters  have  a  revenue  of  twelve  thou 
sand  eight  hundred  dollars  a  month,  or  one 
hundred  and  fifty-three  thousand  six  hundred  dol 
lars  annually.  A  Marysville  merchant  estimates 
the  number  of  teams  employed  there,  not  alone 
in  Chinese  freights  but  also  in  merchandise  for 
their  use,  as  at  least  'twenty-five  to  thirty  a 
week.'  This,  for  twenty-five  a  week,  would 
amount  at  the  rate  given,  to  fifty  thousand  dol 
lars  a  year.  These  facts  afford  some  ground  for 
conjecture  as  to  the  amounts  that  reach  this  hard 
working  class,  whose  employment  brings  them 
to  all  parts  of  the  mining  region.  And  there 
are  some  who  have  become  rich  through  the 

o 

profits  derived  from  Chinese  customers." 

After  giving  an  exhaustive  discussion  as  to 
the  numbers  of  Chinese  then  in  the  mining  re 
gions  of  the  State,  their  employment,  etc.,  the 
writer  of  the  foregoing  extracts  sums  up  the 


234  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

various  annual  expenditures  of  the  Chinese  min 
ing  population,  as  follows : 

"  For  mining  claims,  implements,  and  water,  $2,400,000 
For  boarding,  .....          5,760,000 

For  clothing,        ......         800,000 

For  boots  and  shoes,         .  800,000 

For  miscellaneous  items,     ....         320,000 

Total  ordinary  outlays  annually,          .  $10,080,000" 

The  above  table  does  not  include  rents  paid 
by  the  Chinese  in  the  different  parts  of  the  State, 
nor  the  license  and  poll  taxes,  nor  the  customs 
on  imports.  Surely  so  much  money  spent  in  a 
young  State  must  be  of  some  pecuniary  benefit. 
We  give  further  testimony. 

"In  El  Dorado  County,"  says  the  Mountain 
B.enwcrat,  "the  Chinese  rarely  interfere  with  the 
miners.  They  generally  work  in  old  deserted 
claims,  where  they  can  not  realize  more  than  from 
two  to  three  dollars  a  day,  and  seldom  this  much. 
When  they  get  a  good  claim  they  buy  it  and 
pay  liberally  for  it.  Business  in  some  of  the 
small  mining  camps  in  our  county  would  be 
wholly  suspended  during  the  Summer  months 
were  it  not  for  them.  They  are  content  to  work 
laboriously  for  two  dollars  a  day,  and  work 
claims  which  no  others  wojald.  They  make  good 
hands,  and  are  frequently  hired  by  the  miners. 
We  have  heard  but  little  complaint  against  them 
by  the  miners,  and  the  feeling  which  has  existed 


ANTAGONISMS.  235 

against  them,  and  which  was  greatly  exaggerated, 
is  fast  wearing  away.  They  are  a  sober,  quiet, 
industrious,  inoffensive  class  of  men,  and  in  our 
opinion  are  a  great  benefit  to  our  county.  They 
pay  annually  into  our  treasury,  for  licenses  alone, 
from  sixty  to  eighty  thousand  dollars — a  sum 
we  can  not  afford  to  lose.  They  pay  our  mer 
chants  promptly  for  every  article  they  buy.  They 
attend  to  their  own  business,  and  are  rarely  en 
gaged  in  brawls.  The  mines  they  work  would 
be  unproductive  were  it  not  for  them,  being  too 
poor  to  pay  others  for  working  them.  Where  is 
the  miner  in  our  county  who  would  toil  from 
early  morn  'till  dewy  eve'  for  two  dollars  a 
day,  with  no  prospect  of  obtaining  more  ?  A 
Chinaman  will  do  it  cheerfully,  but  others  will  not. " 

One  quotation  with  regard  to  the  practice  of 
collectors  of  the  "  miner's  tax  "  will  be  sufficient. 

"A  foreign  miner's  tax  collector  may  be  a 
good  man,  and  be  honest  and  lenient;  but  his 
commission  does  not  hinder  him  from  being  the 
opposite;  it  really  tends  to  make  him  so.  He 
may  exercise  fiendish  cruelty,  and  plead  the  ne 
cessity  of  doing  his  duty.  '  I  was  sorry  to  have 
to  stab  the  poor  fellow ;  but  the  law  makes  it 
necessary  to  collect  the  tax ;  and  that 's  where  I 
get  my  profit. '  '  He  was  running  away,  and  I 
shot  to  stop  him.  I  didn't  think  it  would  hit.' 


236  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

'  I  took  all  the  dust  the  rascal  had.  There  were 
seven  of  them  besides  him,  and  they  did  n't  pay 
me  last  month. ' ' 

Such  outrageous  conduct  was  the  fault  of  the 
system  itself,  and  some  of  the  papers  spoke  out 
manfully  against  it.  The  Nevada  Journal  said: 

4 'There  is  a  species  of  semi-legalized  robbery 
perpetrated  upon  the  Chinese.  Many  of  the 
collectors  are  gentlemen  in  every  sense  of  the 
word;  but  there  are  others  who  take  advantage 
of  their  position  to  extort  the  last  dollar  from 
the  poverty-stricken  Chinese.  They  date  licenses 
back,  exact  pay  in  some  instances  for  extra  trou 
ble  in  hunting  up  the  terrified  and  flying  China 
men,  and,  by  various  devices,  fatten  themselves 
upon  the  spoils  thus  obtained.  The  complaints 
of  the  injured  and  oppressed  find  no  open  ear, 
for  is  it  not  declared  by  the  Supreme  Court,  the 
highest  tribunal  in  the  land,  that  their  oaths  are 
not  to  be  regarded?  Of  what  avail  are  their 
complaints,  uttered  not  with  the  solemnity  of  an 
oath  ?  Under  this  state  of  things  the  life  of  a 
Chinaman  in  California  is  one  of  hardship  and 
oppression." 

There  were  also  bogus  collectors,  a  set  of  vag 
abonds,  who  made  their  living  by  putting  off 
spurious  receipts  of  mining  tax,  poll  and  road 
taxes.  Mr.  Speer  heard  one  of  these  vagabonds 


ANTAGONISMS.  237 

address  another  of  his  clan,  thus:  "I  had  no 
money  to  keep  Christmas  with,  but  went  among 
the  Chinamen,  and  sold  them  to  the  amount  of 
nine  dollars  counterfeit  receipts." 

These  shocking  abuses  lead  on  to  lynch  law 
and  murder,  and  scenes  that  have  made  (( Cali 
fornia"  a  fearful  by-word  in  all  the  country,  and 
doubtless  have  deterred  thousands  of  desirable 
families  from  planting  in  this  State  homes  of  in 
dustry  and  virtue.  These  have  not  been  deterred 
by  the  fact  of  the  presence  of  the  Chinese,  but 
from  a  well-founded  fear  of  that  lawless  class, 
who,  by  brute  force  and  false  oaths,  trample  upon 
the  rights  and  endanger  the  peace  and  prosperity 
of  law-abiding  citizens. 

The  North  Californian,  published  in  Oroville, 
delivered  the  following: 

'  'As  we  have  once  said,  so  do  we  now  repeat, 
that  we  are  ready  to  sanction  any  honorable 
measure  to  prevent  our  country  from  being  over 
run  with  fresh  hordes  of  Asiatics,  but  we  pro 
test  against  the  application  of  the  rack  and 
thumb-screw  to  the  poor  unassuming  Mongolians 
now  among  us. 

"For  two  years  past,  a  very  large  portion  of 
the  gold  taken  from  the  mines  has  been  the  pro 
duct  of  Chinese  labor;  and  the  traders  in  mining 
localities  can  attest  that  a  very  small  portion  of 


238  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

this  has  ever  been  carried  out  of  the  country, 
the  assertions  of  city  editors  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding.  Chinese  labor  has  literally  kept 
alive  the  trade  of  most  of  the  mining  towns  dur 
ing  the  past  season.  The  richer  mines — all 
claimed  or  owned  by  the  whites — have  been 
poorly  supplied  with  water;  little  work  has  been 
done,  and  little  gold  has  therefore  been  drawn 
from  this  quarter.  But  all  the  time  the  patient, 
plodding  Johns  have  been  delving  among  the  rocks 
and  ravines  of  the  foot-hills — in  places  where  a 
white  man  would  starve,  rather  than  work  at  all. 

"John  Chinaman  always  has  a  little  money; 
because  he  must  and  will  work,  whether  he  earns 
much  or  little.  He  must  have  cash  or  starve, 
for  he  can  't  get  trusted  for  his  food,  and  so  he 
comes  '  down  with  the  dust. '  In  this  way,  and 
by  means  of  the  oppressive  tax  which  he  pays 
for  the  privilege  of  laboring,  he  contributes  more 
to  sustain  trade,  and  support  a  government 
which  refuses  him  the  least  protection,  than 
many  worse  specimens  of  humanity  of  a  more 
favored  race,  who  affect  to  sneer  at  him  as  being 
no  better  than  a  brute.  Let  justice  be  done 
though  the  heavens  fall,  and  let  it  be  done  to 
John  Chinaman." 

.The  following  extract  from  an  address  to 
Governor  Bigler  in  1856,  by  Lai  Chan  Chuen,  in 


ANTAGONISMS. 


239 


behalf  of  the  Chinese  merchants,  is  interesting  as 
forming  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  antagonisms 
of  that  date: 

"It  is  objected  against  us  that  vagabonds 
'gather  in  places  and  live  by  gambling.'  But 
these  collections  of  gamblers,  as  well  as  the  dens 
of  infamous  women,  are  forbidden  by  the  laws 
of  China.  These  are  offenses  that  admit  of  a 
clear  definition.  Our  mercantile  class  have  a 
universal  contempt  for  such.  But  obnoxious  as 
they  are,  we  have  no  power  to  drive  them  away ; 
and  we  have  often  wished  these  things  were  pre 
vented,  but  we  have  no  influence  that  can  reach 
them.  We  hope  and  pray  that  your  honorable 
country  will  enact  vigorous  laws,  by  which  these 
brothels  and  gambling  places  may  be  broken  up ; 
and  thus  worthless  fellows  will  be  compelled  to 
follow  some  honest  employment ;  gamblers  to 
change  their  calling;  and  your  policemen  and 
petty  officials  also  be  deprived  of  opportunities 
of  trickery  and  extortion.  Harmony  and  pros 
perity  would  then  prevail ;  and  the  days  would 
await  us  when  each  man  could  find  peace  in  his 
own  sphere  of  duty." 

In  April,  1856,  the  law  increasing  the  foreign 
miner's  tax,  two  dollars  a  month  each  year,  was 
repealed,  and  the  tax  placed  again  at  four  dollars 
a  month. 


240  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

To  Mr.  Speer's  indefatigable  services  the  Chi 
nese  were  largely  indebted  for  this  action  in 
their  favor,  and  though  long  absent  from  them, 
he  stills  holds  a  green  spot  in  the  memory  of 
those  Chinaman  who  were  in  California  in  the 
troublous  times  of  1855  and  1856. 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?      24! 


CHAPTER  XL 

CHINAMAN     OR     WHITE     MAN,     WHICH? REPLY     TO 

FATHER    BUCHARD 1873. 

IN  the  early  days  of  California,  the  antago 
nisms  between  the  whites  and  Chinese  were 
developed  mostly  in  the  mining  regions,  and  have 
continued  with  more  or  less  bitterness  until  now, 
the  hostility  always  being  most  active  during  the 
canvass  for  State  and  general  elections.  But  as 
the  years  passed,  the  Chinese  were  found  to  be 
indispensable  in  developing  the  agricultural  and 
manufacturing  interests  of  the  State.  The  un 
skilled  labor  in  most  of  the  manufacturing  estab 
lishments  of  California  has  always  been  done  by 
the  Chinese,  simply  because  the  industries  could 
not  be  carried  on  and  pay  white  labor  the  price 
it  demanded.  The  same  is  true,  to  a  great  ex 
tent,  of  the  fruit-raising  and  farming  interests  of 
the  State.  This  imperative  demand  has  brought 
numbers  of  the  Chinese  into  the  agricultural  dis 
tricts  of  the  State;  while  the  laundry  business, 
the  manufacturing  of  cigars,  slippers,  coarse  shoes 

and    boots,    under-wear,    and    overalls,    and   the 
16 


242  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

pressing  demand  for  house-servants,  all  these  in 
dustries  have  furnished  employment  for  a  large 
and  constantly  increasing  number  of  Chinese  in 
San  Francisco  and  all  other  parts  of  the  State. 
Their  presence  and  competition  has  helped  to 
reduce  the  high  price  of  labor,  which  at  first  pre 
vailed  in  the  country. 

But  this  very  fact,  while  a  necessity  to  the  de 
velopment  of  the  State,  has  created  the  constant 
hostility  and  opposition  of  unskilled  white  labor, 
and  this  unskilled  white  labor  has  not  only  shown 
a  good  deal  of  muscle  in  abusing  Chinamen,  but 
it  has  always  been  able  to  find  plenty  of  advo 
cates  and  defenders,  sometimes  in  aspiring  politi 
cal  demagogues,  and  sometimes  in  the  priests  and 
ministers  of  our  holy  religion.  The  Chinese  have 
had  no  minister  of  their  government  in  Washing 
ton,  no  consul  at  American  ports,  no  official  rep 
resentative  in  all  the  land.  Cowards  have  taken 
advantage  of  these  facts  to  denounce  the  Chinese 
in  the  press  and  in  the  forum.  Thus  stimulated, 
bad  boys  and  worse  men  committed  frequent  acts 
of  violence  upon  these  defenseless  strangers. 
The  police  were  not  always  prompt  to  arrest  the 
offenders,  the  press  was  sometimes  slow  to  re 
buke  them. 

A  marked  lull,   however,    in  this   active  hos 
tility  to    the   Chinese   is  noticeable  in  the  year 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?          243 

1868  on  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Burlingame,  as  envoy 
extraordinary  from  China  to  America  and  Eu 
rope.  Then,  for  a  time,  the  hoodlum  abstained 
from  his  most  delightful  pastime,  and  newspaper- 
writers  and  political  speech-makers  ceased  their 
tirade  against  the  Chinese,  and  vied  with  each 
other  in  glorifying  Mr.  Burlingame  and  his  mis 
sion,  and  attaching  a  far-reaching  significance  to 
this  unprecedented  political  movement  of  the 
Chinese  government.  Leading  citizens  of  San 
Francisco  sat  down  side  by  side  with  the  offensive, 
barbarous  Mongolian,  at  a  great  banquet  given  to 
Mr.  Burlingame  at  the  Lick  House,  presided 
over  by  His  Excellency,  Governor  H.  H.  Haight. 
The  after-dinner  speeches  of  that  memorable  en 
tertainment,  delivered  by  gentlemen  of  different 
political  schools,  were  unanimous  in  regarding 
Mr.  Burlingame  and  his  mission  as  the  harbinger 
of  closer  and  more  friendly  relations  between 
China  and  the  United  States,  as  the  guarantee  of 
a  vast  and  lucrative  commerce  with  Asia,  and  as 
the  symbol  of  increasing  friendly  intercourse 
between  the  two  countries.  It  is  remarkable 
that,  during  the  whole  month  of  April,  1868, 
the  time  of  Mr.  Burlingame's  stay  in  San  Fran 
cisco,  not  a  single  case  of  assault  upon  a  China 
man  is  recorded  by  the  press  of  the  city,  and  not  a 
single  editorial  denouncing  the  Chinese  appeared. 


244  THE  CHINESE   IN  AMERICA. 

But,  after  Mr.  Burlingame  had  passed  on  in 
his  brilliant  career,  and  more  especially  after  his 
sudden  death  and  the  return  of  the  balance  of  the 
embassy  to  China,  the  hostility  to  the  Chinese 
broke  out,  if  possible  with  greater  fury  than  ever 
before.  All  the  disagreeable  facts  about  the  Chi 
nese  and  their  modes  of  living,  all  their  vices 
were  frequently  paraded  before  the  public  in  a 
highly  colored  and  sensational  manner.  Again, 
China  boys  were  wantonly  assaulted  on  the  streets, 
often  without  redress.  Both  the  pulpit  and  the 
press,  to  some  extent,  seemed  indisposed  to  take 
up  the  defense  of  the  Chinaman  in  his  natural 
and  inalienable  right  to  life,  liberty,  and  the  pur 
suit  of  happiness.  The  opposition  had  every 
thing  their  own  way. 

On  the  1 8th  of  February,  1873,  the  Hon. 
Frank  M.  Pixley  delivered  a  lecture  in  San  Fran 
cisco,  for  the  benefit  of  the  "Church  Union," 
subject,  "  Our  Street  Arabs.  Who  are  responsi 
ble  for  them?" 

Mr.  Pixley  improved  the  occasion  to  declaim 
against  the  immigration  of  the  Chinese  to  this 
country,  making  use  of  some  very  violent  and 
incendiary  language,  well  adapted  to  excite  the 
hatred  and  prejudice  of  the  people  against  the 
Chinese. 

On  the   25th   of  February,  the   Rev.   Father 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?      245 

Buchard,  a  Jesuit  Priest,  addressed  a  large  audi 
ence  in  San  Francisco,  on  ' '  Chinaman  or  White 
Man — which?" 

He  also  declaimed  against  Chinese  immigra 
tion,  maintaining  that  the  Chinese  are  an  injury 
to  the  best  interests  of  our  country  and  people, 
because  they  cheapen  labor,  and  because  they 
are  an  inferior  race.  He  charged  that  the  most 
of  the  Chinese  who  come  here  are  slaves ;  that 
they  do  not  pay  taxes  ;  that  they  do  not  con 
sume  our  products,  but  send  their  money  home, 
thus  draining  our  country  of  its  wealth ;  that 
they  are  the  careless  authors  of  destructive  fires  ; 
that  they  displace  white  laborers,  driving  them 
to  pursue  lives  of  beggary,  prostitution,  and 
crime. 

He  denounced  those  who  employ  Chinese  la 
borers  as  unworthy  to  be  called  American  citi 
zens,  and  as  enemies  to  our  country.  He  de 
nounced  all  missionary  work  among  the  Chinese 
here  as  abortive,  and  stated  that  the  conversion 
of  the  Chinese  in  their  own  country  was  almost 
an  impossibility. 

On  the  subject  of  Chinese  house-servants,  the 
devoted  priest  became  quite  impassioned,  and  ex 
claimed,  "Oh!  the  man  or  the  woman  that  would 
dismiss  a  faithful,  virtuous  servant  because  the 
wages  were  so  much  higher,  to  receive  into  the 


246  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

family  one  of  those  immoral  creatures,  because 
he  will  work  at  a  lower  rate — that  would  expose 
the  children  to  be  contaminated  and  ruined  by 
such  a  wretch — scarcely  deserves  the  name  of  a 
human  being." 

These  two  lectures,  quite  fully  reported  in  our 
daily  papers,  with  more  or  less  indorsement  and 
commendation,  were  agitating  the  minds  of  the 
people.  The  hatred  and  prejudice  of  certain 
classes  of  our  population  against  the  Chinese 
were  fully  aroused,  and  many  good  citizens  feared 
mob  violence  in  our  city,  as  the  result. 

The  "San  Francisco  Methodist  Preachers' 
Meeting,"  having  the  matter  under  consideration, 
passed  the  following  Resolution: 

"That  Rev.  O.  Gibson  be  requested  to  prepare  an  an 
swer  to  the  lecture  delivered  by  Father  Btichard  on  '  China 
man  or  White  Man — Which?'  at  his  earliest  convenience, 
and  that  Rev.  J.  W.  Ross,  and  Rev.  A.  J.  Nelson  be  a  com 
mittee  to  engage  a  hall  and  make  arrangements  for  Mr. 
Gibson's  lecture." 

The  writer  accepted  the  invitation,  and  deliv 
ered  the  following  "Reply  to  Father  Buchard," 
on  "Chinaman  or  White  Man — Which?"  which 
was  listened  to  with  interest,  by  a  large  and  intel 
ligent  audience,  assembled  at  Platt's  Hall,  in  this 
city,  Friday  evening,  March  14,  1873. 

On    the    following    Monday   morning    (March 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN -WHICH?      247 

i /th),   the  "Preachers    Meeting"  passed  the  fol 
lowing  Resolution : 

"That  the  Rev.  O.  Gibson  be  requested  to  furnish  a 
copy  of  his  reply  to  Father  Buchnrd,  and  that  Rev.  J.  W. 
Ross  and  A.  J.  Nelson,  Esq.,  be  a  committee  to  publish,  in 
neat  pamphlet  form,  ;it  least  two  thousand  copies  of  the 
lecture." 

On  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  the  writer 
received  the  following  communication : 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  March  17,  1873. 
REV.  O.  GIBSON  : 

Dear  Sir,- — The  leading  Chinese  gentlemen  of  this 
city  have  just  learned  of  your  able  defense  of  the  treaty 
rights  of  the  Chinese  in  this  country.  They  wish  me  to 
assure  you  of  their  high  appreciation  of  your  services,  and 
to  convey  to  you  their  grateful  thanks  for  what  you,  unso 
licited  by  them,  have  done  for  their  people. 

They  also  ask  the  privilege  of  paying  the  expenses 
of  publishing  an  edition  of  your  '  Reply  to  Father  Bu- 
chard.1 

"With  sentiments  of  profound  respect.  In  behalf  of 
the  Chinese  in  America.  Yours  very  truly, 

"  A.  YUP, 
"  HOP  KEE  &  Co." 

In  accordance  with  the  foregoing  request,  and 
the  generous  offer  of  my  Chinese  friends  to  de 
fray  the  expense  of  the  publication,  I  submitted 
the  manuscript  of  my  lecture  to  the  Committee 
named  by  the  Preacher's  Meeting,  and  they  pro 
cured  its  publication  in  pamphlet  form.  I  insert 
here  the  lecture  as  delivered. 


248  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

"  CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN — WHICH?" 

REPLY  TO  FATHER  BUCHARD. 

LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN, — I  wish  it  to  be  dis 
tinctly  understood  that  I  do  not  stand  here  to  de 
fend  the  civilization  or  the  religion  of  China.  I 
do  not  propose  to  offer  any  apology  for  the  vices 
of  the  Chinese  people,  nor  to  praise  the  virtues 
of  the  white  race.  Neither  do  I  stand  here  as  an 
advocate  of  special  measures  for  the  introduction 
of  Chinese  people,  nor  as  an  advocate  of  special 
measures  for  the  introduction  of  any  other  peo 
ple,  to  these  shores.  But  I  come  before  you  to 
defend  the  foundation  principle,  and  the  traditional 
policy  of  the  Government  and  people  of  these 
United  States, — a  principle  enunciated,  and  a  pol 
icy  adopted  in  our  infancy  as  a  nation  ;  a  princi 
ple  and  a  policy  as  dear  as  life  to  every  true  Amer 
ican  patriot;  a  principle  and  a  policy  born  of 
Heaven,  and  destined  ever  to  be  crowning  glo 
ries  in  the  future  history  of  this  fair  land.  It  is 
the  God-taught  principle  that  all  men  are  born 
free  and  equal;  it  is  the  policy  which  opens  wide 
the  doors  of  our  great  country  on  the  East  and  on 
the  West,  and  opens  wide  also,  all  the  countless 
avenues  of  industry  and  enterprise  in  our  country 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?      249 

equally  to  all  mankind,  without  distinction  of  race, 
color,  or  previous  condition  of  servitude. 

I  stand  here,  an  American-born  citizen,  to 
defend  this  principle  and  this  policy  against  the 
incendiary  invectives  of  an  unscrupulous  politi 
cian,  and  against  the  plausible  but  more  danger 
ous  fallacies  uttered  by  a  priest  of  the  Church 
of  Rome. 

CHEAP    LABOR. 

Father  Buchard  with  growing  eloquence  de 
picts  the  evils  of  cheap  labor,  which  he  claims 
includes  in  its  category  all  forms  of  serfdom. 
He  tries  to  make  us  believe  that  we  are  inaugu 
rating  a  system  of  serfdom  in  this  country.  He 
deprecates  the  day,  which  he  would  have  us  be 
lieve  to  be  near  at  hand,  when  ten  or  twenty 
millions  of  our  fellow  citizens  shall  be  reduced 
to  serfdom,  in  order  that  we  may  leave  behind 
us  great  Avorks  and  monuments  like  the  Pyramids 
of  Egypt  or  the  Coliseum  of  Rome.  Such  an 
idea  is  so  absurd,  and  so  contradictory  to  the 
genius  of  our  Government  and  the  tendencies 
of  our  civilization,  that  in  uttering  it  the  Rev 
erend  Father  has  rendered  himself  liable  to  the 
charge  of  being  ignorant  of  the  genius  and  spirit 
of  our  American  civilization.  Our  civilization, 
without  serfdom,  without  cheap  labor  even,  is 
building  monuments  more  glorious  than  the 


250  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Pyramids  of  Egypt,  more  beautiful  than  the  Col 
iseum  of  Rome.  Our  railroads  and  our  tele 
graph  lines  are  our  Pyramids;  our  free  schools, 
with  an  open  Bible;  our  free  press  and  free 
speech ;  our  traditional  Sabbath  ;  our  civil  and  re 
ligious  liberties, — these  are  our  Coliseum.  It  is 
with  these,  our  blood-bought  institutions,  that  a 
class  of  foreigners,  not  Chinese,  are  at  war.  It 
certainly  is  a  pity  that  our  Roman  Catholic  friends 
are  so  slow  to  understand  and  appreciate  the 
genius  and  spirit  of  our  free  institutions. 

This  subject  of  labor  and  its  reward  is  at 
once  an  important  and  delicate  question.  The 
great  sin  charged  against  our  Chinese  friends  is, 
that  they  cheapen  labor.  However,  according  to 
Father  Buchard  himself,  it  will  always  be  impos 
sible  to  reduce  labor  to  its  lowest  rates  in  this 
country,  so  long  as  our  present  form  of  govern 
ment  exists.  He  tells  us,  and  truly,  too,  that  the 
lowest  rates  of  labor  can  only  prevail  under  des 
potic  forms  of  government.  Surely  our  Govern 
ment  is  not  despotic,  and,  hence,  labor  can  not 
reach  its  lowest  rates  in  this  country. 

FREE  COMPETITION. 

The  inevitable  tendency  of  our  institutions  is 
to  increase  the  price  of  labor.  Every-where  the 
freest  competition  exists. 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH  ?      25  I 

Every  man  in  this  land,  be  he  Gentile  or  Jew, 
be  he  Christian  or  heathen,  be  he  red  or  black, 
or  white   or  copper-colored,    is  his  own  master. 
If  capital  refuses  to  reward  labor,  on  every  hand 
doors  of  enterprise  and  industry  are  opened  wide, 
by   means  of  which   the    laboring   classes   them 
selves  may  become  lords  of  the  soil,  or,  by  com 
bination  of  their  labor  and  capital,  may  monopo 
lize  to  a  great  extent  the  manufacturing  interests 
of  the  communities  in  which  they  live.      Father 
Buchard  has  presented  to  the   public   a  labored 
and  plausible,  but,  as  I  think,  an  extremely  fal 
lacious  argument  against  the  free  immigration  of 
the   Chinese   to    this   country,    because  of   their 
cheap  labor.     The  same  argument  may  be  used 
by  native-born  Americans  against  the  free  immi 
gration    of  the    Germans    and   Irish.       But  I  am 
prepared  to  state,  without  fear  of  successful  con 
tradiction,  that,  as  compared  with  other  portions 
of  our  country,  no  such  thing  as  cheap  labor  of 
any  kind  is  yet  known  on  these  shores;  and  any 
statement  or   argument  built  upon  the  false  as 
sumption  that  such    labor  is  known  here,    must 
be  an  incorrect  statement,  a  fallacious  argument 
tending  only  to  pander  to  the  prejudices,  and  to 
fire  the  animosities  of  the  ignorant  and  vicious. 
Why  were  not  a  few  facts  and  figures  given  us  to 
show  how  dangerously  cheap  this  Chinese  labor 


THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

is?  Simply,  I  imagine,  because  such  a  showing 
would  have  exposed  the  fallacy  of  the  position. 
Allow  me  to  eliminate  the  fallacy,  and  then  see 
how  much  of  truth  or  argument  remains.  It  is 
estimated  that  of  the  ten  or  twelve  thousand 
Chinese  in  this  city  about  twenty-five  hundred 
of  them  are  employed  as  domestic  servants. 
Those  who  employ  them  are  denounced  as  craven 
wretches,  worthy  of  a  felon's  cell,  because  they 
employ  this  cheap  labor.  But,  ladies  and  gentle 
men,  we  were  not  told  how  much  ji_month  is 
paid  for  this  criminally  cheap  labor.  (No  mention 
was  made  of  the  fact  that  these  twenty-five  hun 
dred  Chinese  boys  are  paid  as  much,  on  *an  aver 
age,  as  is  paid  to  any  average  twenty-five  hun 
dred  domestic  servants  in  the  Eastern  States'] 
Chinese  boys,  twelve  to  sixteen  years  of  age, 
fresh  from  China,  unable  to  speak  or  to  under 
stand  our  language,  and  perfectly  unacquainted 
with  our  methods  of  labor,  are  paid  two  and 
three  dollars  a  week  and  found. 

Boys  from  sixteen  to  twenty  years,  able  to 
speak  a  few  words,  and  partially  experienced  in 
our  methods  of  labor,  command  three  to  five  dol 
lars  a  week  and  found. 

A  Chinaman,  able  to  cook  and  wash  for  a 
family,  readily  commands  from  five  to  eight  dol 
lars  a  week.  In  our  Eastern  cities  the  same 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?      253 

kind  and  amount  of  labor  can  be  obtained  for  less 
money ;  the  average  price  being  about  three  to 
six  dollars  a  week  for  first-class  servants;  while 
in  the  country  and  villages  the  prices  range  from 
one  and  a  half  to  three  dollars  a  week;  so  that, 
as  compared  with  other  portions  of  our  country 
in  the  matter  of  domestic  servants,  we  have  no 
cheap  labor  as  yet  on  this  coast,  not  even  Chi 
nese.  Whatever  curses  the  Chinese  may  bring 
to  these  shores,  cheap  domestic  labor  is  not  yet 
one  of  them.  I  more  than  suspect  that  there  is 
a  concealed  cause  for  this  irritation  of  the  Rever 
end  Father  on  the  question  of  Chinese  domestic 
service,  and  for  this  violent  opposition  of  the  Ro 
man  Catholic  element  to  the  immigration  of  the 
Chinese  to  this  country.  I  more  than  suspect 
that  if  the  places  now  filled  by  those  twenty-five 
hundred  Chinese  domestics  were  filled  by  com 
municants  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  that 
circumstance  of  itself  might  place  about  two 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars  a  month  into  the 
Treasury  of  that  Church  (mostly  of  Protestant 
money),  to  aid  in  building  up  the  traditional  in 
stitutions  of  Popery  in  our  midst.  But  these 
Chinese  domestics  are  not  to  any  great  extent 
the  subjects  of  his  Holiness,  the  Infallible  Pope, 
or  under  the  control  of  the  Catholic  priesthood. 
Perhaps  that  is  the  trouble. 


254  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

EXORBITANT   WAGES  OF   EARLY  DAYS. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Chinese  im 
migration  has  helped  to  reduce  the  price  of 
labor  from  the  excessive  rates  which  existed  in 
the  early  and  flush  days  of  California  life,  and 
by  so  much  as  the  Chinese  have  done  this,  they 
have  been  a  benefit  and  not  a  curse ;  for  a  reduc 
tion  in  prices  of  wages  was  an  absolute  necessity, 
a  prime  condition  of  our  development  as  a  State 
in  all  those  manifold  interests  and  enterprises 
that  constitute  the  growing  wealth  of  any  land. 

At  the  rates  of  labor  which  existed  in  the 
early  days  of  California,  or  at  the  rates  which 
would  instantly  prevail  were  the  Chinese  removed 
from  our  midst,  not  one  of  the  few  manufactur 
ing  interests  which  have  lately  sprung  up  on 
these  shores  could  be  maintained  a  single  day. 

Were  it  not  for  the  competition  of  Chinese 
labor,  the  few  woolen-mills,  rope-factories,  iron- 
foundries,  cabinet-factories,  shoe-factories,  and 
such  like  industries  lately  commenced,  must  be 
closed  at  once. 

Even  with  the  presence  and  competition  of  the 
Chinese,  the  average  price  of  labor  is  so  high 
that  capital  persistently  refuses  to  invest  to  any 
considerable  extent  in  manufacturing  enterprises. 
For  the  want  of  a  cheaper  labor,  and  more  of  it, 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?      255 

we  are  compelled  to  export  our  wool,  our  silk, 
our  hides,  and  other  products,  and  in  turn  we 
import  our  shoes,  our  cloth,  our  silks,  our  nails, 
and  other  supplies.  The  average  price  of  labor 
on  this  coast  is  still  so  high  that  we  can  not 
manufacture  and  compete  with  Eastern  prices. 
If  it  is  true  that  we  have  such  an  abundance  of 
cheap  labor,  how  shall  we  account  for  the  fact 
that  in  California,  almost  every  year,  fields  of 
wheat  are  left  unharvested  and  vast  quantities  of 
fruit  rot  on  the  ground,  simply  because  labor 
can  not  be  obtained  to  harvest  the  wheat  or  to 
gather  the  fruit  at  paying  rates?  Who  does  not 
know  that  there  are  hundreds,  if  not  thousands 
of  families  in  this  city  arid  country  with  small  in 
comes,  feeble  mothers,  helpless  children,  daily 
suffering  for  the  want  of  domestic  help  which,  at 
present  prices,  they  are  unable  to  command? 
Remove  Chinese  competition,  and  domestic  serv 
ants  as  a  class  would  at  once  become  more  ex 
orbitant  in  their  demands  and  more  insolent  in 
their  manners  than  now ;  and  as  the  result,  many 
families  would  be  compelled  to  leave  the  coun 
try,  or  to  break  up  housekeeping  altogether. 

LESS  CHINESE  -DOES  NOT  SIGNIFY  MORE  WHITE  LABOR. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  if  the  Chinese 
were  removed   from   our   midst   there  would  be 


256  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

employment  for  more  white  laborers  than  now. 
The  fact  is,  and  intelligent  men  know  it  full  well, 
that_the_Chinese  on  this  coast,  by  the  multiplication 
and  development  of  industries,  have  caused  a  de 
mand  for  more  white  skilled  labor  than  otherwise 
could  have  found  employment.  More  white  la 
bor  than  Chinese  labor  is  employed  by  the  busi 
ness  created  by  the  Mission  Woolen  Mills,  but 
the  business  could  not  exist  without  the  employ 
ment  of  Chinese^  The  introduction  of  machin 
ery  all  over  our  land  at  first  met  with  the  same 
kind  of  opposition  because  it  cheapened  the  price 
of  most  products,  and  displaced  laborers;  but  we 
now  know  that  machinery  multiplies  industries, 
creates  a  demand  for  more  laborers,  and  thus  en 
riches  the  country.  The  immigration  of  Irish 
peasants  into  our  Eastern  States,  to  dig  our 
canals  and  build  our  railroads,  cheapened,  for  a 
time,  the  price  of  labor,  but  it  also  developed 
and  enriched  the  country  ;  and  while  it  improved 
the  condition  of  the  Irishmen,  it  also  raised  the 
native  American  population  to  higher  planes  of 
industry  and  more  extensive  fields  of  enterprise. 
I,  myself,  once  a  farm  hand  at  twelve  dollars  a 
month,  was  displaced  by  an  Irishman  who  did 
the  same  work  for  eight  dollars  a  month ;  but  I 
went  from  the  farm  to  the  college,  and  have 
never  since  undertaken  to  compete  with  foreigners 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?      257 

on  that  level.  So  this  Chinese  immigration,  by 
reducing  the  price  of  unskilled  labor  to  a  point 
where  capital  can  afford  to  employ  it,  will  tend 
to  multiply  our  industries  and  enrich  the  State, 
and  in  this  way  they  will  certainly  open  doors 
for  the  employment  of  thousands  of  white  labor 
ers,  who  otherwise  could  not  find  employment 
on  these  shores ;  so  that  ;the  Chinese,  instead  of 
displacing  or  lessening  the  demand  for  white  la 
borers,  really  stimulate  the  demand  and  create  a 
market  for  more] 

ABSURDITY. 

In  face  of  the  facts  and  principles  of  po 
litical  economy,  to  which  I  have  called  your  at 
tention,  how  absurd  seems  the  statement  that  the 
Chinese  immigration  has  displaced  thousands  of 
domestic  servants  and  other  white  laborers,  and 
driven  them  forth  to  become  beggars,  thieves 
and  prostitutes!  The  absurdity  becomes  ridicu 
lous  when  we  are  told,  with  pious  cant,  that 
these  displaced  ones  were  all  good,  honest  souls, 
that  would  have  been  respectable,  would  have 
been  an  honor  to  the  circle  in  which*  they  moved, 
would  have  been  a  credit  to  us  as  Americans, 
were  it  not  for  the  employment  and  cheap  la 
bor  of  these  immoral,  vicious,  pagan  Chinese. 
Such  an  absurd  and  ridiculous  statement  Father 

17 


258  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Buchard  has  thrown  into  the  face  of  this  intelli 
gent  community — a  community  daily  distressed 
beyond  expression  by  the  unfaithfulness,  the  dis 
honesty  and  impudence  of  that  very  class  he  has 
seen  fit  thus  to  eulogize.  We  may  leave  the 
question  of  their  faithfulness  and  honesty  to  be 
settled  by  the  thousands  among  us  who  are  the 
hapless,  helpless  victims  of  kitchen  tyranny  and 
impudence.  The  inefficiency  and  vulgar  impu 
dence  of  domestic  servants  in  America  is  pro 
verbial. 

ARE    THEY    SLAVES? 

We  have  been  told  that  ' '  the  most  of  the 
Chinese  who  come  here  are  slaves."  Now,  such 
statements  are  very  common  in  certain  circles, 
and  may  be  expected  from  the  ignorant  and  pre 
judiced,  but  what  excuse  can  an  intelligent  man 
render  for  such  a  perversion  of  simple,  well- 
known  facts?  The  fact  is,  and  intelligent  men 
know  it,  that  so  far  as  the  male  population  of 
China  is  concerned,  no  such  thing  as  slavery,  in 
our  acceptation  of  the  term,  exists.  The  Chi 
nese  people  always  regarded  with  horror  the 
American  system  of  African  slavery. 

Chinese  women  are  brought  here  as  slaves, 
and  for  vilest  purposes,  and  are  daily  bought  and 
sold  in  this  city,  like  the  brutes  that  perish.  I 
join  with  all  good  citizens  in  denouncing  that 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH  ?       259 

abominable  traffic,  and  in  wiping  out  by  legiti 
mate  means,  this  festering  sore  ;  but  in  our  just 
indignation  against  the  Chinese  enslaved  prosti 
tution,  let  us  not  forget  the  moral  pestilence 
which  surrounds  them,  flaunting  its  victories  and 
exposing  its  victims  unrebuked  on  Dupont  and 
Sacramento  Streets  and  Waverly  Place.  While 
pulling  the  mote  from  our  neighbor's  eye,  let  us 
extract  the  beams  from  our  own  eyes. 

The  Chinamen  who  come  here,  in  every  case 
come  voluntarily.  It  is  true  that  many  of  them 
are  assisted  financially  to  get  here,  and  to  find 
employment  after  they  get  here,  and  for  such  as 
sistance  they  gladly  agree  to  pay  a  certain  per 
cent  of  their  actual  wages  until  the  stipulated 
sum  is  paid  and  the  contract  canceled.  Our  im 
migrant  societies,  importing  immigrants  from  Eu 
rope,  act  upon  precisely  the  same  plan.  Every 
intelligence  office  in  this  city  acts  upon  precisely 
the  same  principle,  and  transacts  business  of  a 
similar  nature  every  time  a  person  is  employed 
through  their  agency.  This  voluntary  contract 
to  refund  with  interest,  moneys  which  have  been 
advanced  on  their  account,  can  not,  in  any  honest 
way,  be  called  slavery,  nor  can  it  be  fairly 
compared  to  slavery.  If  these  are  called  slaves, 
then  every  person  who  secures  a  situation  through 
the  agency  of  an  intelligence  office  is  a  slave,  or 


260  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

may  be  compared  to  a  slave.  It  is  rather  a  fa 
vorable  comment  upon  the  faithfulness  of  the  Chi 
nese  in  keeping  contracts,  that  moneyed  men  of 
their  own  nation  are  found  willing  to  advance 
money  on  such  risks. 

An  effort  to  make  people  believe  that  the 
Chinese  are  mostly  slaves,  and  to  kindle  a  politi 
cal  excitement  upon  such  a  false  assumption  may 
be  expected  from  a  political  demagogue,  but 
from  a  minister  of  religion  we  have  a  right  to 
expect  better  things. 

Let  me  uncover  another  fallacy  here.  We 
have  the  statement  that  the  Chinamen  who  come 
here  are  mostly  slaves.  This  statement  is  not 
true  of  the  men  in  a  single  instance,  but  upon 
this  false  statement,  as  a  premise,  this  argument 
is  built: — First  slavery  of  every  kind  has  been 
declared  unconstitutional.  Second,  these  Chinese 
are  slaves.  Third,  therefore  those  who  employ 
these  Chinamen  are  violating  the  very  spirit  and 
letter  of  the  Constitution,  and  are  deserving  the 
censure  and  condemnation  of  their  fellow-men, 
and  can  not  be  considered  true  American  citizens. 

But,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  if  these  Chinamen 
are  voluntary  immigrants,  and  if  every  man  of 
them  be  his  own  master,  which  is  certainly  the 
case,  what  then?  In  that  case,  who  is  it  that 
violates  the  very  letter  and  spirit  of  the  Constitu- 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?      26l 

tion,  and  is  unworthy  to  be  called  a  true  Ameri 
can  citizen?  Is  it  the  man  who  employs  such 
voluntary  labor  as  he  can  command,  at  prices 
which  he  can  afford?  Or  is  it  the  man  who  at 
tempts  to  dictate  to  us,  free-born  American  cit 
izens,  as  to  what  persons  we  shall  employ,  and 
as  to  what  wages  we  shall  give? 

This  charge  of  violating  the  Constitution  and 
deserving  the  censure  of  our  fellow-men  made 
against  us,  American  citizens,  because  we  choose 
to  employ  Heathen  Chinese  instead  of  European 
Papists,  comes  with  an  exceedingly  bad  grace 
from  a  Jesuit  priest  of  the  Church  of  Rome, 
himself  a  representative  of  a  class  and  a  sect  his 
torically  known  to  be  opposed  to  free,  civil,  and 
religious  institutions  in  all  lands;  known  to  be 
openly,  bitterly  and  persistently  opposed  to  the 
system  of  public-schools,  the  open  Bible,  the 
free  press  and  free  speech,  glorious  character 
istics  of  this  free,  Prostestant  Christian  America. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Archbishop  of  St.  Louis 
says  that  "if  the  Catholics  ever  gain  —  which 
they  surely  will — an  immense  numerical  major 
ity  in  this  country,  religious  freedom  will  be  at 
an  end." 

It  is  high  time  that  the  public  sentiment  was 
roused  and  warned  against  a  system  of  audacious 
assumptions  and  plausible  fallacies,  that  are  blind- 


262  THE  CHINESE    IN  AMERICA. 

ing  the  eyes  and  blunting  the  sensibilities  of  our 
people. 

Little  by  little,  by  fair  means  and  by  foul 
means,  the  memory  of  our  own  immortal  Wash 
ington,  and  the  principles  which  his  name  repre 
sents,  are  pushed  aside,  and  the  name  of  St. 
Patrick,  and  the  institutions  which  that  name 
suggests,  are  brought  to  the  front.  Compare  the 
annual  celebration  in  this  city  of  Washington's 
and  St.  Patrick's  birthdays,  and  you  will  under 
stand  the  force  of  what  I  say.  St.  Patrick  is  all 
very  well,  but  for  Americans  I  think  Washington 
should  be  first,  St.  Patrick  afterward. 

AN    INFERIOR    RACE. 

Father  Buchard  has  presented  a  lengthy  ar 
gument  to  prove  that  the  Chinese  are  an  inferior 
race.  On  this  point  the  Reverend  Father  and 
his  worthy  colleague,  the  Hon.  Frank  M.  Pixley, 
do  not  agree.  When  doctors  of  the  same  school 
disagree  who  shall  decide  the  case  for  them? 

We  all  know  full  well  that  the  civilization  of 
the  Chinese  is  far  inferior  to  our  Christian  civili 
zation,  but  that  does  not  prove  in  the  least  the 
inferiority  of  the  race. 

The  civilization  of  China  reached  the  highest 
point  of  development,  of  which  its  institutions 
and  systems  are  capable,  hundreds  of  years  since. 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?      263 

At  that  time  the  Chinese  civilization  was  in  ad 
vance  of  the  civilization  of  our  ancestors.  Had 
Father  Buchard  lived  in  those  days,  he  could  have 
proved  the  Chinese  were  the  superior  race. 

The  false  systems  of  ethics  and  religion  pre 
vailing  in  China  have  placed  barriers  in  the  way 
of  progress  and  true  development.  Remove 
these  barriers,  take  away  these  stumbling-blocks, 
lift  the  veil  of  ignorance  from  the  Chinese  mind 
and  place  it  under  equal  and  similar  conditions, 
and  you  who  live  in  this  city  need  not  be  told 
that  it  will  compare  favorably  with  the  mind  of 
any  other  family  of  the  one  human  race.  I  say 
one  human  race,  for,  receiving  the  Bible  as  au 
thority,  I  believe  that  "God  hath  made  of  one 
blood  all  nations  of  men,  for  to  dwell  on  all  the 
face  of  the  earth." 

The  inferior  civilization  of  any  people,  at  any 
certain  point  of  the  world's  history,  is  no  gauge 
of  the  possibilities  of  that  people  hi  progressive 
development,  under  favorable  circumstances. 

The  Chinese  an  inferior  race!  Confucius, 
five  hundred  years  before  Christ,  enunciated  the 
Golden  Rule  in  a  negative  form,  and  he  was  a 
Chinaman.  A  few  decades  since,  To  Kwong, 
the  Emperor,  when  pressed  by  the  ambassadors 
from  Christian  lands  to  legalize  the  traffic  in 
opium,  exclaimed  with  vehemence,  "I  know 


264  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

that  my  purposes  will  be  frustrated.  I  know 
that  wicked  and  designing  men,  for  purpose  of 
lust  and  profit,  will  clandestinely  introduce  the 
poisonous  drug,  but  nothing  under  heaven  shall 
ever  induce  me  to  legalize  the  certain  ruin  of  my 
people."  Does  that  sound  like  an  inferior  race? 
An  inferior  race!  Yung  Wing,  who  took  one 
of  the  graduating  prizes  at  Yale  College  a  few 
years  ago,  belonged  to  this  inferior  race.  An 
inferior  race!  Then  why  this  fear  of  their  com 
petition?  Brain  is  always  in  the  ascendency; 
knowledge  is  power,  and  fears  no  competition  of 
mere  brute  force.  If  the  Chinese  are  truly  the 
inferior  race  which  they  are  said  to  be,  then 
coming  to  this  country,  they  must  ever  remain 
the  mud-sills  of  society,  performing  for  us  our 
unskilled  labor,  and  thus  lifting  the  superior 
white  race,  even  including  Father  Buchard's 
dear  brethren,  to  higher  planes  of  industry  and 
more  exalted -walks  in  society. 

But  we  are  told  that  the  Chinese  are  an  inferior 
race,  because  they  can  not  resist  foreign  invasion. 
On  that  principle  what  shall  we  say  of  the 
P'rench  ?  What  of  the  Irish  ?  Have  those  coun 
tries  never  been  successfully  invaded?  Why  did 
not  the  Reverend  Father  tell  us  that  these  infe 
rior  Chinese  have  eliminated  a  system  of  gov 
ernment  which  for  thousands  of  years  has  held 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?      265 

in  peaceful  control   nearly  one-third    of  the   hu 
man  race  ? 

China  stands  before  the  world  to-day  acknowl 
edged  as  having  the  largest  population,  and  a 
government  of  the  longest  existence  known  in 
history. 

But  Father  Buchard  grows  bolder  still  as  he 
advances,  and  finally  caps  the  climax  of  a  long 
catalogue  of  absurd  fallacies,  false  assumptions, 
and  abusive  epithets  by  uttering  a  sentiment, 
which  should  cause  all  believers  in  Christ  to. 
blush,  to  blush  for  very  shame,  that 'a  man  pro 
claiming  such  sentiments  as  he  has  proclaimed, 
should  still  be  recognized  as  a  minister  of  our  holy 
religion.  Himself  ordained  a  priest  of  that  altar 
upon  which  Jesus  Christ,  by  the  grace  of  God 
tasted  death  for  every  man,  in  one  short  sentence 
publicly  uttered  and  broadly  published,  has  dared 
to  exclude  one-third  of  the  human  race  from  all 
of  the  benefits  of  the  scheme  of  human  redemp 
tion  through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.  His  lan 
guage,  as  quoted  in  the  Monitor,  an  Irish  Roman 
Catholic  journal  of  this  city,  is  this:  "These 
pagan,  these  vicious,  these  immoral  creatures, 
that  are  incapable  of  rising  to  the  virtue  that  is 
inculcated  by  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  the 
world's  Redeemer." 

Does    this   blasphemous    utterance  voice   the 


266  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

sentiments  of  the  Church  of  Rome  ?  If  so,  why 
not  translate  it  into  the  Chinese  language  and  cir 
culate  it  broadcast  all  over  China,  to  aid  the 
Jesuits  there  in  their  work,  and  to  encourage 
those  two  million  Chinese  communicants  of  the 
Romish  Church  which  he  claims  in  China?* 

If  the  race  be  what  Father  Buchard  states  it 
to  be,  why  any  efforts  at  all  to  evangelize  it? 
What  about  Father  Peter,  and  Father  Theodore, 
and  Father  Sian,  Roman  Catholic  priests  of  the 
Chinese  race,  who,  at  different  times,  have  min 
istered  in  this  city,  baptizing  the  children,  and 
shriving  the  adults  of  the  superior  white  race  ? 
Do  not  those  priests  belong  to  this  "pagan,  vi 
cious,  immoral  race,  incapable  of  rising  to  the 
virtue  inculcated  by  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ, 
the  world's  redeemer?"  And  if  it  is  such  a  sin 
for  an  American  family  to  employ  a  Chinaman 
in  the  kitchen,  what  shall  we  say  of  the  Romish 
Church  which  ordains  a  pagan,  vicious,  immoral 
Chinaman  to  be  a  priest  at  the  altars  of  the  God 
of  Heaven?  The  fact  that  so  large  a  portion 
of  the  inmates  of  our  prisons,  jails,  industrial 
schools  and  reformatory  institutions  are  commu 
nicants  of  the  Romish  Church,  more  than  justi- 

*[  There  does  seem  to  be  a  little  inconsistency  in  claiming 
two  million  communicants  from  a  race  incapable  of  becoming 
Christians.] 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH  ?      267 

fies  the  suspicion  that  multitudes  of  the  commu 
nicants  of  that  Church,  other  than  Chinese,  if 
not  ' 'incapable,"  do  nevertheless  fail  to  rise  to 
the  practice  of  Christian  virtues. 

Is  it  possible  that  such  language  was  used  in 
order  to  pander  to  the  popular  tastes  and  inflame 
popular  prejudices?  Should  there  be  a  raid  on 
the  Chinese  of  this  city,  and  the  mob  scenes  of 
the  Los  Angeles  riot  be  re-enacted  on  our  streets, 
how  far  ought  such  teachers  as  the  Rev.  Father 
Buchard  and  the  Hon.  Frank  M.  Pixley  be  held 
responsible  at  the  bar  of  an  intelligent  public 
opinion  for  the  results  ?  Are  not  the  cool,  crafty 
instigators  of  a  riot  as  guilty  as  the  mad  partici 
pators  in  its  bloody  scenes? 

Father  Buchard,  in  flowing  sentences,  by  use 
of  plausible  fallacies,  arouses  the  jealousy  and 
excites  the  hatred  and  prejudice  of  the  ignorant 
masses.  He  proclaims  to  them  that  the  Chinese, 
an  immoral,  pagan  race,  are  depriving  them  of 
employment,  reducing  their  wives  to  beggary, 
their  sons  to  hoodlums,  and  their  daughters  to 
prostitutes.  He  tells  them  that  these  Chinese  are 
an  inferior  race,  not  capable .  of  becoming  Chris 
tians  (and  the  plain  inference  is,  that  to  murder 
a  Chinaman  would  not  be  a  greater  sin  than  to 
kill  a  monkey).  He  proclaims  that  those  who 
employ  these  Chinamen  are  "  violating  the  spirit 


268  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

and  letter  of  our  Constitution,  and  are  deserving 
of  the  censure  and  condemnation  of  their  fellow- 
men."  Then  Mr.  Pixley  completes  the  lesson. 
Under  certain  circumstances  he  calls  upon  Gov 
ernor  Booth,  Mayor  Alvord,  and  numerous  citi 
zens,  to  hang  the  captains  and  agents  of  the 
China  trade,  and  burn  their  vessels  at  the  wharf. 
Of  course,  Mr.  Pixley  knew  that  if  the  leading 
citizens  should  fail  to  do  this,  there  is  a  large  ele 
ment  in  the  city  that  would  like  the  job.  If, 
after  all  this,  we  do  not  have  mob  violence 
against  the  Chinese,  it  will  be  because  the  hood 
lum  element  of  our  city  has  not  full  confidence 
in  these  two  leaders. 

I  have  been  told  by  pretty  good  authority 
that  a  few  years  ago  this  same  political  aspirant, 
Frank  M.  Pixley,  before  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
of  this  city,  defended  the  right  of  those  enslaved 
Chinese  prostitutes  to  reside  within  the  city  lim 
its,  stoutly  maintaining  that  the  circumstances 
and  necessities  in  the  case  called  for  the  regula 
tion  rather  than  the  suppression  of  the  evil. 

At  that  time  the  authorities  of  the  city  deter 
mined  to  put  a  stop  to  this  traffic,  refused  the 
Company  permission  to  land  a  cargo  of  these 
women  just  arrived  from  China.  But  Frank  M. 
Pixley,  equal  to  the  emergency,  procured  a  writ 
of  habeas  corpus,  by  which  he  brought  them  all 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?       269 

ashore,  and  here  they  still  are.  Put  that  and  this 
together,  and  you  have  what  I  suppose  to  be  a 
fair  representation  of  the  Hon.  Frank  M.  Pixley. 
Perhaps  we  shall  send  him  to  Congress.  Per 
haps — not. 

DO    NOT    PAY   TAXES. 

It  is  charged  that  .the  Chinese  do  not  pay 
taxes ;  that  they  come  here  only  to  make  money ; 
that  .  the  ten  thousand  Chinese  in  this  city  do 
not  all  together  pay  so  much  in  taxes  as  does 
the  one  man,  Michael  Reese. 

Unfortunately  for  the  strength  of  this  argu 
ment  against  the  Chinese,  there  are  more  than 
fifty  thousand  white  people  in  this  city  who  pay 
no  taxes  at  all,  and  ten  thousand  others  who  do 
not  pay  altogether  nine  thousand  dollars.  The 
Chinamen  have  not  invested  largely  in  real  estate 
for  the  reasons :  First — The  most  of  them  are 
poor.  Second — Our  invidious  legislation  against 
them  has  not  encouraged  them  to  seek  for  per 
manent  settlement  among  us.  Father  Buchard 
has  told  us  that  the  eleven  thousand  Chinese  of 
our  city  pay  only  nine  thousand  dollars  into  our 
public  treasury.  Let  us'  see :  This  nine  thou 
sand  dollars  is  taxes  on  real  estate  and  personal 
property.  But  every  Chinaman  pays  his  two 
dollars  poll  tax — many  of  them  two  and  three 
times  the  same  year.  This  will  add  about  ten 


2/0  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

thousand  dollars  to  Father  Buchard's  nine  thou 
sand  dollars,  making  nineteen  thousand  dollars. 
To  this  add  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  for  li 
censes,  and  instead  of  nine  thousand  dollars  we 
have  the  round  sum  of  forty-four  thousand  dol 
lars  annual  revenue  to  our  City  Treasury  from 
the  Chinese  among  us.  Besides  this,  the  Chinese 
of  this  city  alone  pay  internal  revenue  license 
five  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  stamp  tax  on 
cigars  made  during  the  last  year  the  enormous 
sum  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  dollars, 
or  over  one  thousand  dollars  each  working  day. 
The  grand  total  of  public  revenue  from  the  Chi 
nese  of  this  city  alone,  during  the  past  year, 
reached  the  magnificent  sum  of  four  hundred  and 
nine  thousand  dollars — just  four  hundred  thou 
sand  dollars  more  than  Father  Buchard  gave 
them  credit  for.  (If  his  statistics  of  Chinese 
Christians  are  not  more  correct  than  these  fig 
ures,  certainly  we  can  not  place  much  confidence 
in  them.)  A  part  of  this  money  is  paid  for  the 
Public-school  Fund,  but  no  schools  are  provided 
for  the  Chinese.  Again,  for  the  last  twenty  years 
a  tax  of  five  dollars  has  been  collected  from  every 
Chinaman  landing  in  this  country — a  part  of  the 
time,  indeed,  the  tax  was  fifty  dollars  a  man. 
Hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  col 
lected  from  the  Chinamen  under  the  provisions 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?       27 1 

of  the  Foreign  Miner's  Tax  law,  four  dollars  a 
month  for  every  miner,  which  tax  was  seldom 
collected  of  any  others  than  Chinese.  There  is 
this  also  to  be  said  :  Collector  Austin  himself 
informed  me  that  there  is  less  difficulty  in  collect 
ing  taxes  from  the  Chinese  than  from  any  other 
class  of  inhabitants,  and  less  delinquencies  among 
them. 

But  this  matter  of  revenue  multiplies  as  we 
look  at  it. 

THE    IMPOSTS   THEY    PAY. 

The  imposts  or  duties  on  rice  alone,  brought 
by  the  China  trade,  and  mostly  consumed  by 
Chinamen,  amount  to  over  one  million  dollars 
gold  coin  annually ;  duty  on  oil  and  opium,  two 
hundred  and  seventy  thousand  dollars  more ;  and 
the  duties  on  other  imports  swell  the  figures  to 
over  two  million  dollars  customs,  collected  annu 
ally  in  this  port  on  the  trade  from  China,  and 
mostly  from  Chinamen.  Add  all  this  revenue 
together  and  we  have  two  million  four  hundred 
and  nine  thousand  dollars,  including  taxes,  licen 
ses  and  customs — no  insignificant  sum.  The  Chi 
nese  also  patronize  our  insurance  companies,  pay 
ing  to  the  several  companies  doing  business  in 
this  city,  over  fifty  thousand  dollars  annually 
for  insurance. 


2^2  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


DO  NOT    CONSUME    OUR    PRODUCTS. 

It  is  charged  that  the  Chinese  do  not  consume 
our  products,  and  that  they  send  their  money 
home  and  thus  impoverish  the  country.  It  is 
about  time  that  the  fallacy  was  taken  out  of  this 
kind  of  talk.  Many  Chinamen  wear  garments 
made  of  our  cloth;  they  wear  our  boots  and  our 
hats;  they  are  fond  of  watches  and  jewelry  and 
sewing-machines;  they  ride  in  our  cars  and 
steamers.  They  eat  our  fish  and  beef  and  po 
tatoes,  and  exhaust  our  pork  market.  Take  the 
one  item  of  pork  alone,  and  the  Chinamen  of  this 
coast  pay  to  our  producers  on  this  coast  over  half 
a  million  dollars  annually.  If  we  would  itemize 
the  various  products  which  they  consume,  we 
shall  find  that  they  do  not  send  home  over  ten 
per  cent  of  their  earnings.  Now,  allowing  each 
man  to  earn  $100  a  year,  this  will  give  $750,000 
of  earnings  sent  home  to  China,  as  against 
$6,000,000  of  their  earnings  spent  in  this  coun 
try,  and  $2,400,000  paid  to  our  revenues  in  taxes 
and  customs.  Again,  they  can  not  carry  home 
the  result  of  their  labors — they  built  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad.  They  can  not  send  that  home, 
that  remains  to  us.  So  of  the  results  of  all  in 
dustries  in  which  they  are  employed.  Again, 
those  living  here,  by  their  letters  home,  and  by 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH  ?      273 

their  presence  on  returning,  are  so  many  adver 
tisements  of  the  products  and  manufactures  of 
our  country,  gradually  creating  a  demand  and 
opening  a  splendid  market  for  our  surplus  pro 
ducts.  Our  exports  to  China  are  constantly  in 
creasing;  formerly  vessels  went  to  China  in  bal 
last,  now  they  go  loaded  with  our  products. 
Again,  all  the  carrying  trade  between  this  and 
China,  both  of  the  immigrants  and  merchandise, 
is  in  the  hands  of  our  own  people.  This  alone 
furnishes  profitable  employment  for  a  vast  amount 
of  American  capital  and  labor.  Fifty-two  ships 
and  steamers  arrived  in  this  port  from  China  dur 
ing  the  past  year,  and  the  trade  is  constantly 
increasing. 

THE    MONEY  DRAUGHT. 

Finally,  these  croakers  about  the  Chinese 
sending  all  their  money  home  ought  to  know  that 
the  fortunes  amassed  by  American  merchants  in 
China  and  brought  to  this  country,  amount  every 
year  in  the  aggregate  to  five  times  more  than  all 
these  Chinamen  can  send  to  China,  as  the  fruits 
of  their  daily  toil. 

AUTHORS    OF  FIRES. 

The  Chinese  are  charged  as  being  the  careless 
authors    of  the   fires  which   consume    our  prop 
erty — how  strange  it  is  that  the  fires  do  not  rage 
18 


2/4  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

in  the  Chinese  quarter.  Who  is  supposed  to  have 
Durned  the  Methodist  Church  in  San  Jose,  be 
cause  Chinamen  were  taught  in  the  Sunday- 
school?  Who  is  supposed  to  have  burned  Col 
onel  Nagle's  property  of  the  same  place,  because 
he  employed  Chinamen  ?  To  whom  shall  we 
charge  the  fires  in  Chicago  and  Boston?  Was 
Mrs.  O'Leary,  who  milked  the  cow,  that  kicked 
the  lamp,  that  kindled  the  fire  that  burned  Chi 
cago,  was  Mrs.  O'Leary  a  Chinaman?  Our  fires 
are  not  so  disastrous  as  those  in  the  East ; 
perhaps  our  immigrants  are  not  so  dangerous 
as  theirs.  Of  the  t\vo  evils  we  may  safely 
choose  the  less. 

PROTESTANT    MISSIONARY    LABORS. 

Father  Buchard  also  saw  fit  to  disparage  the 
results  of  Protestant  missionary  work  in  China, 
and  to  sneer  at  the  efforts  made  by  our  Protestant 
citizens  to  educate,  elevate,  and  Christianize  the 
Chinese  who  are  among  us.  He  sneers  at  our  Chi 
nese  schools  and  Bible  teachings.  (By  the  way, 
this  Bible  teaching  has  always  been  considered  a 
sin  by  the  Romish  priests.)  He  says  these  efforts 
have  been  going  on  for  years,  and  yet  he  asks, 
"  Have  the  papers  of  our  city  heralded  the  bap 
tism  of  a  single  Chinaman,  as  the  result  of  all  this 
labor  ?  Have  the  papers  of  this  city,  any  one  of 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?      275 

them,  religious  or  secular,  yet  heralded  the  reform 
ation  of  a  single  one  of  these  unfortunate  women, 
who  are  brought  to  this  country  for  criminal  pur 
poses?"  Now  the  facts  are,  and  if  Father  Buchard 
reads  the  papers,  he  ought  to  know  the  facts, 
that  as  the  result  of  Protestant  efforts  in  this 
direction,  in  this  country,  about  one  hundred 
Chinamen  have  been  baptized  and  received  into 
the  various  Churches,  and  a  thousand  others 
have  been  greatly  improved  both  in  mind  and 
manners.  Six  of  these  unfortunate  women  are 
now  in  the  Asylum  of  the  Mission  House,  cared 
for  and  taught  by  the  Woman's  Missionary  So 
ciety  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  One 
has  been  married  from  the  Asylum,  and  that,  too, 
to  a  white  man — of  course,  not  an  American 
citizen.  Another  woman,  Jin  Ho,  has  gone  forth 
from  the  Asylum  to  do  service  and  earn  her  own 
livelihood  in  a  Christian  family. 

All  these  women 'are  now  clothed  and  in  their 
right  mind,  happy  in  their  escape  from  lives  of 
slavery  and  shame.  The  \voman,  Jin  Ho,  was 
snatched  from  the  cold  waters  of  the  bay,  into 
which  she  had  thrown  herself,  in  order  to  escape 
from  the  miseries  of  this  life. 

This  is  the  Protestant,  the  American  way  of 
solving  the  Chinese  question. 

Another  way,  popular  just  now,  but  contrary 


276  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

to  American  principles,  and  contrary  to  the  true 
spirit  of  Christianity,  is  to  arouse  the  jealousies 
and  excite  the  hatred  of  our  people  against  a 
class  of  peaceable  and  industrious  strangers,  who 
are  here  by  right  of  international  law  and  na 
tional  treaties. 

All  these  results  of  Protestant  effort  among 
the  Chinese  of  this  country  have  been  published 
from  time  to  time  in  the  newspapers  of  the  city, 
both  secular  and  religious. 

If  Father  Buchard  does  not  read  the  papers, 
he  should  not  speak  so  positively  of  what  they 
do  or  do  not  publish.  If  he  does  read  them, 
he  ought  to  tell  the  truth  when  reporting  from 
them. 

As  to  the  results  of  Protestant  effort  in  China 
itself,  there  are  now  about  ten  thousand  actual 
communicants  of  Protestant  Churches,  maintain 
ing  consistent  Christian  characters,  and  perhaps 
five  times  that  number  of  well  disposed  hearers. 
A  number  of  self-sustaining  Churches  already 
exist,  and  these  are  constantly  increasing. 

The  Bible,  and  religious  books  and  tracts,  and 
historical  and  scientific  works,  have  been  faith 
fully  translated,  and  millions  of  copies  placed  in 
circulation. 

At  last  the  people  and  Government  of  China 
are  beginning  to  learn  the  difference  between 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?       2/7 

Christian  evangelization  and  Jesuitical  intrigue, 
and  as  the  result,  a  brighter  day  is  dawning  upon 
China. 

DANGER   TO    REPUBLICAN   INSTITUTIONS. 

Father  Buchard  closed  his  lecture  with  an  elo 
quent  peroration  on  the  grandeur  of  our  country 
and  the  glory  of  our  institutions.  He  contrasted, 
in  glowing  colors,  the  inestimable  blessings  to  be 
derived  to  our  government  from  filling  our  land 
with  immigrants  from  Europe,  with  the  impend 
ing  ruin  attendant  upon  the  migration  of  the  Chi 
nese  to  these  shores. 

But  fellow  citizens,  there  is  another  vital 
question  connected  with  this  subject  of  immigra 
tion  to  which  we  must  not  close  our  eyes — which 
is  the  more  dangerous  to  Republican  institutions, 
Popery  or  Paganism?  This  is  one  of  the  grave 
questions  involved  in  this  subject.  I  may  be 
mistaken,  but  I  believe  that  I  voice  the  candid 
conviction  of  a  majority  of  the  intelligence  and 
character  of  these  United  States  when  I  answer : 
Popery  is  more  dangerous  to  Republican  institu 
tions  than  Paganism. 

Whence  comes  this  bitter,  this  ceaseless  hos 
tility  to  our  free  schools,  our  free  press,  our  open 
Bible?  Always  from  Popery;  never  from  Pa 
ganism. 


2/8  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


OUR  TRUE  CHINESE  POLICY. 

A  broad,  statesmanlike  view,  which  takes  in 
its  scope  the  fundamental  principles  and  the  tra 
ditional  policy  of  the  Government  and  people  of 
these  United  States, — that  is,  open  doors  and 
equal  rights  for  all, — a  view  that  has  regard  to 
national  treaties  of  commerce  and  amity, — a  view 
that  understands  the  value  of  the  commerce  of 
Asia  to  us  as  a  nation, — such  a  view  will  teach  the 
utter  impracticability  and  perfect  inconsistency 
of  any  attempt  on  our  part  to  prevent  the  immi 
gration  of  the  Chinese  to  these  shores. 

Remember  that  we  are  the  aggressors ;  we 
battered  down  China's  walls  of  exclusion;  we 
opened  her  interdicted  ports  that  we  might  share 
her  commerce.  God  permitted  us  to  do  this, 
and  the  same  God,  who  is  no  respecter  of  per 
sons,  permits  the  Chinese  to  come  here ;  and 
shall  we  \var  with  God  ?  We  might  as  well  at 
tempt  to  stay  the  tides  of  the  ocean  as  to  attempt 
to  prevent  this  Chinese  immigration.  With  all 
its  evils,  and  they  are  many,  there  is  no  resource 
for  us  but  to  make  the  best  of  it  we  possibly 
can.  We  need  not  fear  them  on  the  cheap  labor 
question.  Under  our  present  form  of  govern 
ment,  oppressively  cheap  labor  is  an  impossibility. 

What  we  have  to  fear  is  the  vice  and  igno- 


CHINAMAN  OR  WHITE  MAN— WHICH?      2/9 

ranee  which  they  bring.  Wise  legislation,  wisely 
executed,  will  do  much  in  this  direction.  As  a 
sanitary  measure,  the  Chinese  should  be  com 
pelled  to  keep  their  houses  and  streets  cleaner, 
and  they  should  not  be  allowed  to  pack  so  many 
persons  into  such  small  space  as  is  now  their 
custom. 

This  abominable  traffic  in  the  flesh  and  blood 
of  these  unfortunate  women  should  be  dealt  with 
rigorously  and  at  once — their  dens  of  prostitu 
tion  closed  without  any  delay. 

A  compulsory  school  law  should  place  all  of 
their  children,  girls  and  boys,  into  good  schools. 
All  invidious  legislation  should  be  repealed,  and 
Christian  men  and  women  must  multiply  their 
efforts  to  uplift  and  Christianize  these  people. 

To  the  question,  "  Chinaman  or  White  man — 
which?"  I  understand  Father  Buchard  to  an 
swer,  the  white  man  alone. 

Hon.  Frank  M.  Pixley  answers,  neither  white 
nor  Chinaman.  America  belongs  to  the  Indian, 
the  red  man. 

But  according  to  the  genius  and  spirit  of  our 
government  and  our  national  history,  I  stand  here 
to  answer  thus:  "The  doors  of  our  country  are 
open  equally  for  both.  We  have  room  for  all. 
Ours  is  "the  land  of  the  free,  and  the  home  of 
the  brave. ' '  The  oppressed  and  down-trodden  from 


280  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

all  nations  may  alike  find  shelter  here,  and  under 
the  benign  influences  of  our  free  institutions,  and  of 
our  exalted  faith,  with  the  blessing  of  Almighty 
God,  these  different  nationalities  and  varying-  civili 
zations  shall,  in  time,  blend  into  one  harmonious 
whole,  illustrating  to  a  wondering  world  ( '  the  com 
mon  Fatherhood  of  God,  and  the  universal  broth 
erhood  of  man." 


THE  CHINESE  QUESTION.  28 1 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"THE  CHINESE  QUESTION  FROM  A  CHINESE  STAND 
POINT,"  1873. 

AFTER  the  delivery  and  publication  of  the 
author's  reply  to  Father  Buchard,  that  crafty 
priest  omitted  the  "Chinaman"  altogether  from 
his  catalogue  of  lectures.  Mr.  Pixley  undertook 
to  repeat  his  lecture  on  "  Our  Street  Arabs  "  but 
after  great  expense,  noise,  and  trouble  in  work-_ 
ing  it  up,  failed  to  secure  an  audience.  A  cer 
tain  Mr.  Starr,  a  Congregationalist  minister,  una 
ble  to  get  other  employment,  entered  the  service 
of  the  Anti-Chinese  agitators  about  that  time, 
and,  for  a  few  months,  traveled  over  the  country 
giving  stale,  driveling  talks  against  the  Chinese 
to  small  audiences  of  ignorant,  irresponsible  peo 
ple;  but  his  opposition  was  too  weak  to  attract 
any  public  notice.  Mr.  Starr,  however,  enjoys 
the  unenviable  distinction  of  being  the  only  Prot 
estant  clergyman  on  the  Pacific  Coast  who  has 
publicly  identified  himself  with  the  Anti-Chinese 
movement,  except  it  be  a  Methodist  minister, 
Rev.  H.  Cox,  D.  D.,  who  made  one  of  the 


282  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

addresses  at   that  notorious  Anti-Chinese   mass- 
meeting  held  in  Union  Hall,  April  5,   1876. 

The  municipal  government  of  San  Francisco, 
however,  did  undertake  to  grapple  with  the  Chi 
nese  question,  not  in  any  special  effort  to  ferret 
out  and  punish  the  crimes  of  gambling,  prosti 
tution,  and  the  abominable  traffic  in  flesh  and 
blood  of  enslaved  women  and  girls.  It  is  a  mat 
ter  of  common  report  that  Chinese  villains  have 
always  paid  pretty  well  for  not  being  molested  in 
those  favorite  pursuits. 

In  June,    1873,   the  Board  of  Supervisors  of 
the  city  of  San  Francisco,  among  others,  passed 
the  following  municipal  orders  : 
No.  1097. 

"  SECTION  I. — Each  and  every  male  prisoner  incar 
cerated  or  imprisoned  in  the  county  jail  of  the  city  and 
county  of  San  Francisco,  under  and  pursuant  to  a  judg 
ment  or  conviction  had  by  any  court  having  jurisdic- 
diction  of  criminal  cases  in  the  said  city  and  county  of 
San  Francisco,  shall  immediately,  upon  their  arrival  at 
such  county  jail,  under  and  pursuant  to  a  judgment  or 
sentence  as  aforesaid,  have  the  hair  of  their  head  cut  off 
or  clipped  to  a  uniform  length  of  one  INCH  from  the  scalp 
thereof." 

No.  1098. 
Regulating  license  for  keepers  of  laundries  and  laundry 

offices. 

"SECTION  I. — For  keepers  of  laundries  and  laundry 
offices  who  employ  therefor  one  vehicle  drawn  by  animal 
power,  $2  per  quarter.  For  those  who  employ  therefor 


THE  CHINESE  QUESTION.  283 

two  such  vehicles,  $4  per  quarter.  For  those  who  employ 
therefor  more  than  two  such  vehicles,  $15  per  quarter. 
For  those  who  employ  therefor  no  such  -vehicle,  $  1 5  per 
quarter" 

The  first  of  these  was  known  as  the  "Pig 
tail  ordinance,"  because  it  was  designed  for  the 
express  purpose  of  cutting  off  the  cue  of  every 
Chinaman  who  should  come  under  its  provisions. 
It  was  vetoed  by  Mayor  Alvord,  to  his  honor 
be  it  said,  and  his  veto  was  sustained.  The 
mayor  in  his  veto,  well  remarked  that  ''this 
order,  though  general  in  its  terms,  in  substance 
and  effect,  is  a  special  and  degrading  punishment 
inflicted  upon  the  Chinese  residents  for  slight  offenses 
and  solely  by  reason  of  their  alienage  and  race. ' ' 
The  laundry  order  was  passed  over  the  mayor's 
veto. 

The  evident  intention  and  purpose  of  both 
these  orders  was  simply  to  afflict  and  disgrace 
the  Chinese,  and  make  their  stay  in  this  country 
a  misery  and  burden.  The  laundry  order  was 
general  in  its  terms,  and  if  rigidly  and  impartially 
enforced  would  have  distressed  as  many  poor 
white  women  as  Chinamen,  but  it  was  never  in 
tended  to  be  enforced  against  any  body  except 
the  Chinamen. 

The  Chinese  laundrymen  came  to  me  in  great 
consternation.  I  advised  them  to  go  on  as  be 
fore,  paying  no  regard  to  the  law,  and  see  what 


284  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

would  be  done.  So  all  went  quietly  for  a  year, 
when  suddenly  one  morning  eleven  Chinese  laun- 
drymen  were  arrested  for  violation  of  this  ordi 
nance  in  non-payment  of  this  license.  They 
gave  bail  and  secured  Ex-Gov.  H.  H.  Haight  to 
defend  them  in  court,  pleading  the  unconstitu 
tionally  of  the  law.  At  my  suggestion,  they 
caused  formal  complaint  to  be  made  against  a 
number  of  white  laundry  women  for  the  same 
offense.  The  result  was,  that  the  cases  against 
the  Chinamen  in  the  police  court  were  laid  over 
until  the  new  Board  of  Supervisors  had  time  to 
rescind  the  order.  Then  the  case  was  dismissed 
and  the  Chinamen's  bail  was  refunded,  and  they 
went  on  their  way  rejoicing  for  a  time.  By 
some  means  one  of  the  cases  got  into  the  County 
Court,  and  there  Governor  Haight  pleaded  the  un 
constitutionally  of  the  law,  and  Judge  Stanly's 
decision  sustained  the  pleading — pronouncing  the 
law  unconstitutional. 

While  the  Board  of  Supervisors  were  discuss 
ing  the  above  municipal  orders,  and  before  they 
were  finally  passed,  the  writer,  in  behalf  of  the. 
Chinamen,  read  the  following  appeal  to  the  Su 
pervisors  in  open  session  of  the  Board.  The 
document  was  afterward  published  in  a  neat 
little  tract  which  we  insert  in  this  place,  as 
follows: 


THE  CHINESE  QUESTION.  285 

"THE    CHINESE  QUESTION 

"FROM  A  CHINESE  STAND-POINT. 

"  To  the  People  of  the  United  States  of  America  : 

"BROTHERS, — Will  you  listen  to  a  calm,  re 
spectful  statement  of  the  Chinese  question  from 
a  Chinese  stand-point?  Public  sentiment  is  strong 
against  us.  Many  rise  up  to  curse  us.  Few 
there  are  who  seem  willing,  or  who  dare  to  utter 
a  word  in  our  defense,  or  in  defense  of  our  treaty 
rights  in  this  country.  The  daily  papers  teem 
with  bitter  invectives  against  us.  All  the  evils 
and  miseries  of  our  people  are  constantly  pic 
tured  in  an  exaggerated  form  to  the  public,  and 
our  presence  in  this  country  is  held  up  as  an 
evil,  and  only  evil,  and  that  continually. 

"In  California,  Oregon,  and  Nevada,  laws,  de 
signed  not  to  punish  guilt  and  crime,  nor  yet  to 
protect  the  lives  and  property  of  the  innocent, 
have  been  enacted  and  executed  discriminating 
against  the  Chinese;  and  the  Board  of  Supervis 
ors  of  the  city  of  San  Francisco,  where  the  largest 
number  of  our  people  reside,  has  surpassed  even 
these  State  authorities  in  efforts  to  afflict  us,  by 
what  seem  to  us  most  unjust,  most  oppressive,  and 
most  barbarous  enactments.  If  these  enactments 
are  the  legitimate  offspring  of  the  American 


286  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

civilization,  and  of  the  Jesus  religion,  you  can 
hardly  wonder  if  the  Chinese  people  are  somewhat 
slow  to  embrace  the  one  or  to  adopt  the  other. 
"Unfortunately  for  us,  our  civilization  has 
not  attained  to  the  use  of  the  daily  press — that 
mighty  engine  for  molding  public  sentiment  in 
these  lands — and  we  must  even  now  appeal  to 
the  generosity  of  those,  who  perhaps  bear  us  no 
good  will,  to  give  us  a  place  in  their  columns  to 
present  our  cause. 

"THE  POLICY  OF  CHINA. 

"i.  We  wish  the  American  people  to  remem 
ber  that  the  policy  of  the  Chinese  Government 
was  strictly  exclusive.  She  desired  no  treaty 
stipulations,  no  commercial,  relations,  no  inter 
change  whatever  with  Europe  or  America.  She 
was  not  willing  that  other  people  should  come  to 
reside  in  her  limits,  because  she  knew  the  antag 
onism  of  races.  For  the  same  reason  she  was 
unwilling  that  her  subjects  should  go  forth  to 
other  lands  to  reside. 

' '  But  the  United  States  and  other  Christian 
nations  held  very  different  -views,  and  advocated 
a  very  different  policy.  Treaty  stipulations,  com 
mercial  relations,  and  friendly  interchange  of 
commodities  and  persons  were  demanded  of  the 
Chinese.  To  secure  these  with  China,  pretexts 


THE  CHINESE  QUESTION.  287 

for  war  were  sought  and  found,  and.  as  the  re 
sult  of  defeat  on  the  part  of  the  Chinese,  our 
Government  was  compelled  to  give  up  her  tradi 
tional,  time-honored  policy,  and  to  form  treaties 
of  friendship  and  interchange  with  her  con 
querors. 

"THE  RESULT  OF  THIS  POLICY. 

"2.  Under  these  treaty  stipulations  dictated  to 
China  by  Christian  governments,  the  people  of 
Europe  and  America  have  freely  entered  China 
for  the  purposes  of  trade,  travel,  and  Christian 
evangelization.  Foreign  residents  in  China  are 
numerous,  and  many  of  them  have  amassed  ample 
fortunes  in  that  land.  Their  presence  has  ever 
been  hateful  to  a  large  portion  of  the  Chinese 
people.  It  is  but  fair  to  state  this  fact  that  as 
much  friction,  if  not  more,  is  caused  in  China  by  the 
presence  of  foreigners  than  the  CJiinese  are  creating 
in  this  land. 

"The  declaimers  against  us  because  we  sup 
plant  white  laborers  in  this  country  ought  to 
know,  what  is  \vell  known  to  all  intelligent  Chi 
namen,  that  the  introduction  of  American  and 
English  steamers  upon  the  rivers  and  coasts  of 
China  has  thrown  out  of  business  a  vast  fleet  "of 
junks,  and  out  of  employment  a  whole  army  of 
men,  larger  in  number  than  all  the  Chinese  now 
in  America. 


288  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

"  And  yet  during  these  few  years  of  commer 
cial  and  friendly  intercourse  a  large  commerce 
has  sprung  up  between  China  and  America,  cre 
ating  a  community  interest  between  the  people 
of  these  two  countries,  and  doing  much  to  re 
move  the  strong  prejudices  of  the  Chinese  against 
foreign  intercourse.  American  merchants  and 
American  enterprise,  American  missionaries  and 
Christian  doctrine  meet  with  far  less  opposition 
and  much  greater  favor  in  China  now  than  for 
merly.  Great  changes  are  taking  place  in  the 
popular  sentiments  of  the  people,  a  striking  fea 
ture  of  which  change  is  a  marked  partiality  for 
the  American  Government  and  civilization. 

"The  Chinese  Government  has  already  sent 
a  score  of  youths  to  this  country  to  learn  your 
language,  your  customs  and  laws,  and  proposes 
to  send  many  more  on  the  same  errand.  This 
fact  of  itself  is  significant. 

"THE  PRESENT  EMBARRASSING  DEMANDS  OF  AMER 
ICA   UPON    THE   CHINESE   GOVERNMENT. 

4<  3.  We  wish  also  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
American  public  to  the  fact  that  at  the  present 
time  the  American  and  European  Governments 
are  greatly  embarrassing  the  Chinese  Government 
by  strenuously  insisting  upon  these  two  points, 
namely  : 


THE  CHINESE  QUESTION.  289 

"First.  That  Americans  and  other  foreigners 
shall  be  permitted  to  travel  and  trade  and  preach 
in  all  parts  of  the  Chinese  Empire  without  being 
subject  to  Chinese  law.  The  foreign  govern 
ments  insist  upon  their  right  to  carry  their  code 
of  laws  with  them  into  all  parts  of  our  country, 
thus  humbling  and  disgracing  our  Government 
in  the  eyes  of  our  own  people.  How  would 
that  shoe  fit  the  other  foot?  Or  how  can  this 
claim  be  reconciled  to  the  *  Golden  Rule, '  con 
sidering  the  present  treatment  of  Chinese  in 
America? 

"Second.  The  audience  question.  Foreign 
governments  insist  upon  holding  audience  through 
their  representatives  with  the  Emperor  of  China, 
without  paying  him  the  homage  and  respect  which 
the  Throne  of  China  has  ever  received  from  all 
who  came  before  it. 

"INDUSTRIOUS. 

"4.  We  wish  now  also  to  ask  the  American 
people  to  remember  that  the  Chinese  in  this  coun 
try  have  been  for  the  most  part  peaceable  and  in 
dustrious.  We  have  kept  no  ivhisky  saloons,  and  have 
had  no  drunken  brawls,  resulting  in  manslaughter 
and  murder.  We  have  toiled  patiently  to  build 
your  railroads,  to  aid  in  harvesting  your  fruits  and 
grain,  and  to  reclaim  your  swamp  lands.  Our 
19 


THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


presence  and  labor  on  this  coast  we  believe  have 
made  possible  numerous  manufacturing  interests, 
which,  without  us  could  not  exist  on  these  shores. 
In  the  mining  regions  our  people  have  been  sat 
isfied  with  claims  deserted  by  the  white  men. 

"As  a  people  we  have  the  reputation,  even 
here  and  now,  of  paying  faithfully  our  rents,  our 
taxes,  and  our  debts. 

"In  view  of  all  these  facts  we  are  constrained 
to  ask  why  this  bitter  hostility  against  the  few 
thousands  of  Chinese  in  America?  Why  these 
severe  and  barbarous  enactments,  discriminating 
against  us,  in  favor  of  other  nationalities. 

"From  Europe  you  receive  annually  an  im- 
.  migration  of  200,000  (among  whom,  judging  from 
what  we  have  observed,  there  are  many  —  per 
haps  one-third  —  who  are  vagabonds,  and  scoun 
drels  or  plotters  against  your  national  and  relig 
ious  institutions).  These,  with  all  the  evils  they 
bring,  you  receive  with  open  arms,  and  at  once 
give  them  the  right  of  suffrage,  and  not  seldom  elect 
them  to  office.  Why,  then,  this  fearful  opposition 
to  the  immigration  of  15,000  or  20,000  China 
men  yearly? 

"But  if  opposed  to  our  coming,  still  in  the 
name  of  our  country,  in  the  name  of  justice  and 
humanity,  in  the  name  of  Christianity  (as  we  un 
derstand  if),  we  protest  against  such  severe  and 


THE  CHINESE  QUESTION.  29! 

discriminating  enactments  against  our  people  ^vh^le 
living  in  this  country  under  existing  treaties. 


"5.  Finally,  since  our  presence  here  is  con 
sidered  so  detrimental  to  this  country  and  is  so 
offensive  to  the  American  people,  we  make  this 
proposition,  and  promise  on  our  part,  to  use  all 
our  influence  to  carry  it  into  effect.  We  propose 
a  speedy  and  perfect  abrogation  and  repeal  of  the 
present  treaty  relations  between  China  and  America, 
requiring  the  retirement  of  all  Chinese  people  and 
trade  from  these  United  States,  and  the  withdraw 
ing  of  all  American  people  and  trade  and  commer 
cial  intercourse  whatever  from  China. 

"This,  perhaps,  will  give  to  the  American 
people  an  opportunity  of  preserving  for  a  longer 
time  their  civil  and  religious  institutions,  which, 
it  is  said,  the  immigration  of  the  Chinese  is  cal 
culated  to  destroy? 

"This  arrangement  will  also,  to  some  extent, 
relieve  the  Chinese  people  and  Government  from 
the  serious  embarrassments  which  now  disturb 
them,  and  enable  them  by  so  much  to  return  to 
the  traditional  policy  of  their  sages  and  states 
men  ;  that  is,  'Stay  at  home  and  mind  their  own 
business,  and  let  all  other  people  do  the  same. ' 

"This  is  our   proposition.      Will  the  Ameri- 


292  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

can  people  accept  it  ?  Will  the  newspapers 
which  have  lately  said  so  many  things  against  us, 
and  against  our  residence  in  this  country,  will 
they  now  aid  us  in  bringing  about  this,  to  us,  de 
sirable  state  of  affairs?  In  the  mean  time,  since 
we  are  now  here  under  sacred  treaty  stipulations, 
we  humbly  pray  that  we  may  be  treated  accord 
ing  to  those  stipulations,  until  such  time  as  the 
treaty  can  be  repealed,  and  all  commercial  inter 
course  and  friendly  relations  come  to  an  end. 

"  Signed  in  behalf  of  the  Chinese  in  Amer 
ica,  by  LAI  YONG,         YANG  KAY, 
A  YUP,  LAI  FOON, 
CHUNG  LEONG." 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  293 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

THE   ANTI-CHINESE    CRUSADE,     1876. 

IT  is  a  humiliating  fact  that  the  greatest  en 
thusiasm  is  often  manifested  upon  issues 
where  ignorance,  bigotry,  prejudice  and  selfish 
ness  play  the  principal  parts.  The  history  of 
the  "  Anti-Chinese  Crusade"  in  California,  dur 
ing  this  Centennial  year  of  American  independ 
ence  ;  the  grounds  upon  which  it  has  been  waged; 
the  character  and  spirit  of  its  leaders  and  act 
ive  agents ;  the  methods  of  the  campaign,  the 
willful  misrepresentations  made  concerning  help 
less  and  defenseless  strangers  who  have  come  to 
us  by  special  invitation ;  the  criminal  perversion 
of  testimony  given  under  oath  ;  the  ill-concealed 
effort  to  blacken  the  character  of  Protestant  Mis 
sions  and  missionaries,  in  order  to  make  a  case 
against  the  Chinamen ;  the  proud  arrogance  and 
assumption  of  superior  virtue  and  morality  by  a 
class  of  men,  many  of  whom,  in  daily  life  and 
practice,  fall  far  below  the  average  Chinaman — 
all  these  things  conspire  to  cause  a  blush  of 
shame  on  the  cheek  of  every  intelligent  Christian 


294  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

citizen,  who  understands  the  case,  whenever  the 
subject  is  mentioned. 

Indeed,  the  whole  discussion  of  this  question, 
so  far  as  these  political  demagogues  are  con 
cerned,  has  been  so  puerile,  so  utterly  destitute 
of  logic  and  sound  argument, — in  its  spirit  and 
intent  so  subversive  of  the  fundamental  princi 
ples  of  liberty  upon  which  the  whole  fabric  of 
our  government  is  built, — so  blind  to  patent  facts, 
so  utterly  regardless  of  truth,  honor,  and  justice, 
that  it  requires  no  ordinary  patience  to  arrange 
the  shameful  facts  in  hand,  and  write  out  an  im 
partial  sketch  of  its  history. 

In  the  Spring  of  the  present  year  (1876),  two 
facts  conspired  to  give  certain  political  aspirants 
a  coveted  occasion  to  inaugurate  a  bitter  and 
wide-spread  Anti-Chinese  agitation.  First,  the 
decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States,  that  the  State  legislations  of  California, 
prohibiting  the  importation  of  lewd  Chinese 
women  was  unconstitutional.  Second,  the  fact 
that  an  unusually  large  number  of  Chinese  immi 
grants  were  arriving  each  month,  with  rumors 
that  multitudes  more  were  only  waiting  an  op 
portunity  to  come.  These  two  facts  furnished 
an  immediate  occasion,  and  fresh  material  for  an 
appeal  to  the  selfishness,  bigotry,  and  race  preju 
dices  of  the  people,  in  order  to  excite  their  hos- 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  295 

tility  against  the  Chinese,  and  thereby  secure 
their  adherence  to  the  political  school  of  the  agi 
tators  and  lift  them  into  office.  The  result  has 
been  that,  for  political  purposes  alone,  the  lead 
ers  of  both  political  parties,  and  the  secular  press 
generally,  have  declared  war  upon  the  Chinamen. 
The  press  has  deprecated  the  constant,  violent 
assaults  and  abuses  heaped  upon  the  Chinamen, 
not  because  of  the  injustice  and  brutality  of  such 
conduct,  but  simply  on  the  low,  selfish  ground 
that  these  acts  of  violence  would  injure  the  Anti- 
Chinese  cause  in  the  Eastern  States.  And  be 
fore  the  Commissioners  appointed  by  the  munici 
pal  government  of  San  Francisco  could  reach 
Washington,  with  the  address  and  resolutions  of 
the  famous  Anti-Chinese  Mass-meeting  of  April 
5th,  a  California  Senator,  Mr.  A.  A.  Sargent,  had 
anticipated  all  they  had  to  say  in  a  speech  be 
fore  the  Senate,  May  2,  1876. 

A  large  portion  of  the  press  of  California  de 
voted  itself  to  fanning  the  flames  of  excitement. 
The  people  were  daily  treated  to  editorials  and 
correspondence  setting  forth  in  exaggerated  and 
highly  colored  phrases  the  vices  and  crimes  of 
the  Chinese  people,  the  ruin  caused  by  Chinese 
cheap  labor,  and  the  tremendous  impending  evils 
of  further  Chinese  immigration.  All  the  existing 
evils  which  affect  the  morals  of  our  own  people 


296  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

were  charged  home  upon  the  Chinese.  All  the 
sufferings  of  the  poor  and  wretched  were  the 
results  of  Chinese  immigration.  The  very  vices 
and  crimes  of  our  hoodlum  element  were  traced 
to  the  presence  and  competition  of  Chinese  cheap 
labor.  The  people  were  admonished  to  remem 
ber  that  China  had  a  population  of  four  hundred 
millions,  an  alien  race,  incapable  of  assimilating 
with  and  of  attaining  to  our  higher  forms  of  civ 
ilization,  and  that  a  constant  stream  from  such 
a  source  would  soon  overrun  and  devastate  the 
whole  land.  With  admirable  sophistry  and  flat 
tery  it  was  maintained  that  a  "  European  after  be 
ing  in  this  country  a  few  years,  becomes  as  good 
a  citizen,  and  as  patriotic  as  a  native  born ;  a  Chi 
naman  never."  (But  the  fact  is,  some  Europeans 
make  bad  citizens,  some  Chinamen  make  good 
ones.)  The  working  classes  were  easily  made 
the  dupes  and  tools  of  the  demagogues.  They 
were  made  to  believe  that  if  the  Chinese  were 
removed  out  of  the  way,^  thousands  of  white  la 
borers,  more  than  now,  would  immediately  find 
employment  at  greatly  increased  wages.  The 
Chinese  laboring  men  were  all  called  coolie  slaves, 
and  for  a  white  man  to  be  a  common  laborer  be 
side  a  servile  class,  was  disgraceful  in  the  ex 
treme,  and  utterly  repugnant  to  the  noble  in 
stincts  of  the  intelligent  yeomanry  of  this  free  land. 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  297 

The  organization  of  Anti-Chinese  clubs  through 
out  the  city  and  country  was  strongly  recom 
mended.  The  frantic  cry  was  raised,  ''Organize, 
organize,  organize."  And  organize  they  did. 
Politicians  organized.  The  various  classes  of 
craftsmen  organized.  Loafers,  tramps,  and  bum 
mers  organized.  Hoodlum  boys  of  ten  and  fif 
teen  years  of  age  were  encouraged  to  join  some 
of  these  organizations,  and  have  been  found  very 
useful  in  teaching  the  Chinese  that  they  are  not 
wanted  in  this  country.  We  give  a  specimen 
of  the  proceedings  of  these  Anti-Chinese  clubs 
as  reported  in  the  daily  papers.  It  is  quite  sug 
gestive  : 

"The  Seventh  Ward  Anti-Coolie  Club  met 
last  evening.  After  the  business  was  through 
with,  a  gentleman,  who  has  felt  the  evils  of  Chi 
nese  invasion,  asked  permission  of  the  Club  to 
make  a  few  remarks,  and  said: 

"'Mr.  Gintlemin  and  Prisidint,  I  have  some 
remarks  to  make  on  this  great  thing.  I  Ve  been 
wurruckin  amongst  these  hathens  as  foremin  and 
head  boss  over  some  iv'em,  and  you  bet  your 
life  I  knocked  'em  down  whiniver  they  tuk  any 
airs  on  thimsilves  wid  me.  I  am  a  white  man, 
as  is  a  white  man,  and  Mr.  Prisidint,  I  claims 
as  how  when  a  man  is  a  white  man,  he  should 
aither  be  a  white  man  or  lave  the  country.  I 


298  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

showed  thim  'are  hathens  as  I  was  a  white  man, 
and  forninst  such  employed  Chinamens.  Why, 
sur,  I  seed  them  men  who  employed  these  China 
men,  actually  give  'em  a  chaw  of  terbacker,  and 
indulgin'  'cm  in  every  way  and  manner  as  was 
possable  to  indulge  'em,  and  I  was  discharged 
because  I  knocked  'em  down  when  they  tuk  too 
many  liberties  wid  me.  Yis,  sur.'" 

Acts  of  violence  against  the  Chinese  have 
been  shamefully  numerous,  but  for  some  reason, 
the  newspaper  reporters  have  not  always  thought 
them  worthy  of  mention.  One  day  some  eight 
or  ten  of  the  Chinese  girls  of  the  Asylum  of  the 
Methodist  Mission,  accompanied  by  three  Amer 
ican  ladies,  were  rudely  assaulted  by  a  large 
crowd  of  men  and  boys  in  broad  daylight  within 
a  few  blocks  of  the  City  Hall.  Mud,  sand,  and 
stones  were  thrown  at  them,  and  they  were  fol 
lowed  by  a  jeering,  insulting  crowd  till  they  were 
compelled  to  seek  refuge  in  the  house  of  an 
Irish  woman,  who  not  only  sheltered  them  but 
went  out  and  tried  to  disperse  the  mob.  The 
managers  of  the  school  have  not  since  dared  to 
take  the  girls  out  for  recreation  or  observation 
without  the  special  protection  of  the  police. 

The  municipal  authorities  of  San  Francisco 
were  early  aroused  to  this  question.  The  mayor 
has  seemed  to  be  the  principal  leader  in  the 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  299 

whole  Anti-Chinese  movement.  He  presented 
an  address  to  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the 
city,  setting  forth  in  no  mild  terms  the  evils, 
present  and  impending,  of  this  Chinese  immigra 
tion,  and  recommended  some  action  on  their 
part  which  should  open  up  a  general  agitation 
of  the  subject  whose  influence  should  be  felt  in 
Congress.  The  Board  acted  promptly  on  the 
suggestion,  and  immediately  took  action  which 
culminated  in  the  "Grand  Anti-Chinese  Mass- 
meeting,"  of  April  5th,  and  the  appointment  of 
three  commissioners  to  go  to  Washington  to 
present  to  the  general  Government  the  case 
against  the  Chinamen. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
had  exercised  its  law-making  prerogatives  and 
re-enacted  the  "Pig-tail  Order,"  which  Mayor 
Alvord  had  vetoed  three  years  before.  They 
also  re-enacted  the  Laundry  Order,  requiring 
every  Chinaman  to  pay  fifteen  dollars  license  a 
quarter,  unless  he  chose  to  deliver  with  horse 
and  vehicle,  when  only  two  dollars  would  be  re 
quired.  And  again,  the  poor  Chinese  laundry- 
men  were  compelled  to  be  at  the  expense  and 
trouble  of  securing  a  court  decision  that  the  order 
was  unconstitutional. 

The  excitement  ran  so  high  that  at  last  even 
the  conservative,  stolid  Chinamen  began  to  be 


300  THE  CHINESE    IN  AMERICA. 

alarmed,  and  on  April   ist,  issued   the  following 
Manifesto : 

"TO   THE   AMERICAN   PUBLIC. 

' '  The  United  States  has  been  open  to  Chinese 
emigration  for  more  than  twenty  years.  Many 
Chinamen  have  come ;  few  have  returned.  Why 
is  this?  Because  among  our  Chinese  people,  a 
few  in  California  have  acquired  a  fortune  and  re 
turned  home  with  joy.  A  desire  to  obtain  a  com 
petency  having  arisen  in  the  heart,  our  people 
have  not  shrunk  from  toil  and  trouble.  They 
have  expected  to  come  here  for  one  or  two  years 
and  make  a  little  fortune  and  return.  Who 
among  them  ever  thought  of  all  these  difficul 
ties, — expensive  rents,  expensive  living?  A  day 
without  work  me'ans  a  day  without  food.  For 
this  reason,  though  wages  are  low,  yet  they  are 
compelled  to  labor  and  live  in  daily  poverty, 
quite  unable  to  return  to  their  native  land.  Now 
this  honorable  country  is  discussing  the  impor 
tance  of  prohibiting  the  further  emigration  of  the 
Chinese.  That  is  very  good  indeed.  First,  be 
cause  it  will  relieve  the  American  people  of 
trouble  and  anxiety  of  mind ;  secondly,  the  Chi 
nese  will  no  longer  be  wanderers  in  a  foreign 
land.  Both  parties  will  thus  be  benefited.  But 
this  result  should  be  brought  about  in  a  reason- 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  301 

able  manner.  It  is  said  that  the  six  companies 
buy  and  import  Chinaman  into  this  country. 
How  can  such  things  be  said?  Our  six  companies 
have,  year  after  year,  sent  letters  discouraging 
our  people  from  coming  to  this  country,  but  the 
people  have  not  believed  us,  and  have  continued 
to  come.  The  necessary  expense  of  these  poor 
new  comers  is  a  constant  drain  upon  the  resources 
of  those  already  settled  here,  so  that  the  Chinese 
residents  of  this  country,  are  also  opposed  to  this 
rapid  Chinese  emigration. 

' '  But  the  capitalists  of  this  honorable  country 
are  constantly  calling  for  Chinese  cheap  labor. 
The  white  laboring  men  of  this  country  are  very 
angry  because  the  Chinese  obtain  employment 
which  they  claim  belongs  to  white  men  alone,  and 
so  they  hate  the  Chinamen,  sometimes  throw 
stones  at  them,  sometimes  strike  them  on  the 
street,  and  constantly  curse  them.  The  Chinese 
people  can  not  return  such  treatment  in  the 
same  kind,  lest  other  nations  hearing  of  such 
things  should  ridicule  the  laws  of  this  honorable 
country  as  of  no  use. 

"To  prohibit  the  Chinese  from  coming  to 
this  country  is  not  a  difficult  matter.  Formerly 
His  Imperial  Majesty,  our  August  Emperor,  made 
a  treaty  of  amity  and  friendship  with  the  Gov 
ernment  of  this  honorable  country,  opening  com- 


302  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

mercial  relations  and  permitting  free  intercom 
munication  between  the  people  of  the  two  coun 
tries.  This  treaty  is  in  accordance  with  the  law 
of  all  nations. 

"And  now  if  the  American  people  do  not 
desire  the  Chinese  to  come  here,  why  not  go  to 
the  Emperor  and  ask  a  repeal  of  the  treaty,  or 
why  not  limit  the  number  of  immigrants  on  each 
steamer  to  a  very  few  ?  Then  more  would  re 
turn  and  fewer  would  come,  and  not  ten  years 
would  elapse  before  not  a  trace  of  the  Chinamen 
would  be  left  in  this  great  and  honorable  country. 
Would  not  that  be  well  indeed?  But  let  there 
be  counsel  and  consideration.  It  can  not  be 
said  that  Chinese  labor  impoverishes  this  country, 
and  are  not  the  customs  paid  by  the  Chinese  a 
benefit  to  this  country?  Now  let  the  Government 
of  the  United  States  propose  to  the  Govern 
ment  of  China  a  repeal  or  change  of  the  treaty, 
prohibiting  the  people  of  either  country  from 
crossing  the  ocean,  then  shall  we  Chinese  forever 
remain  at  home  and  enjoy  the  happiness  of  fathers, 
mothers,  wives,  and  children  and  no  longer  re 
main  strangers  in  a  strange  land.  Then  the  white 
laborer  of  this  country  shall  no  longer  be  trou 
bled  by  the  competition  of  the  Chinese,  and  our 
Chinese  people  no  longer  be  subjected  to  the 
abuses  and  indignities  now  daily  heaped  upon 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  303 

them  in  the  open  streets  of  this  so-called  Chris 
tian  land.  If  this  can  be  accomplished,  we  Chi 
nese  will  continually  offer  to  the  virtue  of  this 
honorable  country  our  deepest  gratitude  and 
thanks." 

They  also,  the  same  day,  addressed  the  fol 
lowing  letter  to  the  Chief  of  Police : 

"SAN  FRANCISCO,  April  i,  1876. 

"To  H.  H.  ELLIS,  Chief  of  Police  of  City  and  County  of 
San  Francisco  : 

"Sm: — We  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  the 
fact,  that  at  the  present  time  frequent  and  un 
provoked  assaults  are  made  upon  our  Chinese 
people  while  walking  peacefully  the  streets  of 
this  city.  The  assaulting  party  is  seldom  ar 
rested  by  your  officers,  but  if  a  Chinaman  resist 
the  assault,  he  is  frequently  arrested  and  pun 
ished  by  fine  or  by  imprisonment.  Inflammatory 
and  incendiary  addresses  against  the  Chinese, 
delivered  on  the  public  streets  to  the  idle  and 
irresponsible  element  of  this  great  city,  have 
already  produced  unprovoked  and  unpunished 
assaults  upon  some  of  our  people,  and  we  fear, 
that  if  such  things  are  permitted  to  go  on  un 
checked,  a  bloody  riot  against  the  Chinese  may 
be  the  result.  Regretting  that  the  Chinese  are 
so  obnoxious  to  the  citizens  of  this  country,  and 
quite  willing  to  aid  in  seeking  a  repeal  or  modi- 


304  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

fication  of  the  existing  treaty  between  China  and 
the  United  States,  yet  being  here  under  sacred 
treaty  stipulations,  we  simply  ask  to  be  protected 
in  our  treaty  rights. 

"  Respectfully  submitted, 

"THE  Six  COMPANIES." 

To  show  that  the  Chinamen  had  not  exagger 
ated  the  abuses  heaped  upon  them,  we  give  an 
item  from  a  daily  paper  of  the  same  date  as  the 
above  note  to  the  Chief  of  Police: 

"A    RIOTOUS    ASSEMBLY. 

"An  inflammatory  Anti-Chinese  meeting  was 
held  last  evening  on  Kerney  Street,  and  addressed 
by  an  incendiary  orator.  Under  his  heated  har 
angue,  the  crowd  was  wrought  up  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  excitement,  and  increased  in  numbers 
until  the  street  was  blocked  by  a  surging  mass. 
The  speaker  read  a  long  series  of  resolutions 
condemning  the  importation  of  coolies,  demand 
ing  a  remedy  from  the  law-making  power,  and 
ended  by  proclaiming  that  if  no  measures  were 
taken  to  suppress  the  plague,  the  people  were 
justified  in  taking  summary  vengeance  on  the 
Mongolians.  The  resolutions  were  received  with 
yells  by  the  listeners,  and  several  unlucky  China 
men  who  passed  by  at  the  moment,  were  knocked 
down  and  kicked,  to  emphasize  the  verdict.  The 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  305 

speaker  then  resumed  his  address  in  a  more 
incendiary  strain  than  before,  calling  on  the  popu 
lace,  in  the  name  of  humanity,  and  their  families, 
and  as  American  citizens,  to  '  drive  every  greasy- 
faced  coolie  from  the  land. '  '  We  must  take 
this  insidious  monster  by  the  throat,'  shouted 
the  speaker,  *  and  throttle  it — choke  it  until  its 
heart  ceases  to  beat,  and  then  hurl  it  into  the 
sea!'  At  the  conclusion  of  his  speech  he  called 
upon  every  man  to  sign  the  resolutions,  which 
about  two  hundred  of  those  present  did.  During 
the  crowding  up  to  accomplish  this,  a  car  passed 
along  on  which  a  Chinaman  was  riding.  Yells 
of  'Pull  him  off!'  'Lynch  him!'  '  Kill  the  greasy 
slave!'  etc.,  rent  the  air;  but  the  Mongolian  es 
caped  with  only  a  few  cuffs  and  a  vigorous  kick 
or  two." 

Things  got  to  such  a  pass  that  the  sensational 
papers  which  had  been  fanning  the  flames  of 
popular  excitement  began  to  find  that  "Fears 
of  an  Anti-Chinese  riot  were  expressed  in  various 
quarters,"  and  to  "call  upon  the  Mayor  and  the 
Chief  of  Police  to  give  their  attention  to  the 
matter  in  time."  They  further  trusted  "that 
at  the  Anti  -  Chinese  mass -meeting  to-night 
there  will  be  no  sensational  clap-trap  eloquence," 
designed  to  fire  the  popular  heart.  "The  pop 
ular  heart  is  already  sufficiently  fired."  Thou- 

20 


306  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

sands  of  the  best  citizens  feared  a  bloody  riot. 
The  Chinese  themselves  became  exceedingly 
nervous,  and  prepared,  as  best  they  could,  to 
defend  themselves  in  case  of  an  attack.  The 
pawnbroker  shops  reaped  a  rich  harvest  from 
the  sale  of  revolvers  and  bowie-knives  to  China 
men.  One  dealer  alone  sold  sixty  pistols  to 
Chinamen  in  one  day  at  good  prices." 

The  Presidents  of  the  Six  Companies,  that 
they  might  do  all  in  their  power  to  avert  the 
threatened  disturbance,  sent  the  following  com 
munication  to  the  Mayor: 

"  To  A.  J.  BRYANT,  Mayor  of  the  City  and  County  of  San 

Francisco  : 

"  SIR, — We,  the  undersigned  Presidents  of  the 
Chinese  Six  Companies  of  this  city,  desire,  most 
respectfully,  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact 
(which  may  not  have  escaped  your  notice)  that 
wide-spread  rumors  are  abroad  all  over  this  city, 
to  the  effect  that  a  riotous  attack  upon  the  Chi 
nese  is  about  to  take  place.  It  is  widely  re 
ported  that  to-night,  while  the  more  respectable 
class  of  citizens  are  peacefully  devising  means 
to  prohibit  further  Chinese  emigration,  another 
class,  mostly  of  foreign  birth,  will  commence 
riotous  proceedings  against  the  Chinese  who  are 
already  here.  We  notice  that  Anti-Chinese  so 
cieties  are  being  formed  in  every  ward  of  the 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  307 

city,  and  in  many  towns  of  the  State.  Denun 
ciatory  and  incendiary  addresses  against  the  Chi 
nese,  publicly  made  upon  the  streets  of  the  city, 
to  large  crowds  of  excitable  and  idle  people,  have 
already  produced  acts  of  violence,  and  unpro 
voked,  and,  we  are  sorry  to  say  it,  unpunished 
assaults  upon  our  countrymen.  We  have  noticed 
that  for  two  or  three  weeks  past  the  city  papers 
have  failed  to  observe  these  violent  assaults  made 
upon  the  Chinamen;  or,  if  they  have  observed 
them,  they  have  failed  to  notice  them  in  their 
columns.  We  have  also  noticed  that  the  daily 
press  of  the  city  is  constantly  warning  the  people 
to  abstain  from  riotous  proceedings  against  the 
Chinese,  which  we  think  would  hardly  be  done 
without  some  cause  existed  to  fear  that  such  pro 
ceedings  are  intended.  All  these  things  are  caus 
ing  the  Chinese  people  great  anxiety.  And  in 
the  immediate  danger  which  seems  to  threaten 
us  as  well  as  to  threaten  the  peace  and  good 
name  of  this  city,  we  appeal  to  your  Honor  the 
Mayor  and  Chief  Magistrate  of  this  municipality 
to  protect  us,  to  the  full  extent  of  your  power, 
in  all  our  peaceful  treaty  rights,  against  all  un 
lawful  violence,  and  all  riotous  proceedings  now 
threatening  us.  We  would  deprecate  the  results 
of  mob  violence,  for  we  not  only  value  our  prop 
erty  and  cherish  our  lives,  which  now  seem  to  be 


308  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

in  jeopardy,  but  we  should  .also  regret  to  have 
the  good  name  of  this  great  and  honorable  coun 
try  tarnished  by  the  riotous  proceedings  of  her 
own  citizens. 

"Our  countrymen  are  better  acquainted  with 
peaceful  vocations  than  with  scenes  of  strife,  yet 
many  of  them  have  lived  long  enough  in  this 
country  to  learn  that  self-defense  is  the  common 
right  of  all  men  ;  and  should  a  riotous  attack  be 
made  upon  the  Chinese  quarters,  we  have  no 
power,  even  if  we  had  the  disposition,  to  restrain 
our  countrymen  from  defending  themselves  to 
the  last  extremity,  and  selling  their  lives  as  dearly 
as  possible.  But  we  trust  and  believe  that  it  is 
in  your  Honor's  power,  and  in  accordance  with 
your  high  sense  of  justice  to  prevent  these  threat 
ened  evils.  That  we  may  do  all  in  our  power  as 
good  citizens  to  preserve  the  peace  and  avert  a 
riot,  we  most  respectfully  submit  these  state 
ments,  and  make  this  earnest  appeal  to  your 
Honor.  Respectfully  submitted, 

"LEE  MING  How,  Sam*Yup  Company, 
"  SAW  YUN  CHONG,  Kong  Chow  Company, 
"  CHAN  LUNG  KONG,  Wing  Yung  Company, 
"LEE  CHEONG  CHIP,  Hop  Wo  Company, 
"LEE  CHU  KWAN,  Yung  Wo  Company, 
"CHAN  KONG  CHEW,  Yan  Wo  Company. 
"SAN  FRANCISCO,  April  5,  1875." 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  309 

It  is  a  strange  comment  upon  our  free  institu 
tions  in  this  Centennial  year,  that  while  the  Gov 
ernor  of  the  great  State  of  California  and  the 
Mayor  of  the  great  city  of  San  Francisco  were 
presiding  over  a  great  Anti-Chinese  mass-meet 
ing  of  twenty  thousand  ''intelligent  citizens," 
the  whole  Chinese  population  of  the  city,  about 
thirty  thousand  in  number,  were  advisd  by  the 
same  magnates,  as  well  as  by  other  citizens,  to 
retire  into  their  shops  and  stores,  and  lodging 
houses;  to  keep  off  from  the  streets,  and  out  of 
sight  of  Christian  men,  lest  they  be  massacred 
in  cold  blood  ! 

The  newspapers  have  told  how  closely  the 
Chinese  followed  the  advice : 

"At  nine  o'clock  last  night,  the  streets  in  the 
Chinese  quarter  were  almost  deserted  and  nearly 
all  the  stores  closed.  Special  policemen  were 
stationed  at  each  corner,  and  the  place  had  de 
cidedly  the  appearance  of  a  town  under  martial 
law.  Here  and  there  a  Chinaman  would  peep 
out  of  his  stronghold  and  greet  the  passer-by 
with  a  ghastly  smile,  and  it  was  evident  from  the 
lights  shining  through  the  crevices  of  the  window 
shutters,  and  the  bustle  within,  that  John  was 
watching  and  waiting,  ready  but  not  anxious  for 
a  fray.  The  dozen  Chinamen  stationed  on  Du- 
pont  and  Jackson  Streets,  were  probably  members 


310  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

of  the  noble  Highbinder  Association,  or  pickets 
ready  to  warn  their  countrymen  of  any  approach 
ing  danger. 

"  About  ten  o'clock  a  reporter  strolled  through 
the  heart  of  Chinatown,  taking  in  his  way  Jack 
son,  Clay  and  Sacramento,  between  Kearney  and 
Stockton  Streets,  and  Dupont  Street  for  a  consid 
erable  part  of  its  length.  The  general  quietness 
seemed  like  the  quiet  of  a  New  England  Sabbath. 

The  shutters  were  all  closed ;  a  great  part  of 
of  the  houses  were  dark,  the  streets  were  en 
tirely  deserted  by  Celestials,  and  the  few  people 
who  were  passing  seemed  for  the  most  part  in 
cited  by  a  curiosity  to  see  how  the  inhabitants  of 
this  quarter  were  deporting  themselves  during 
the  excitement.  The  hoodlumistic  element  was 
slightly  represented,  but  was  restrained  from  acts 
and  even  words  of  violence  by  the  presence  of 
the  police,  who  were  stationed  at  nearly  every 
corner  and  guarded  the  entrance  of  every  alley. 

"A  little  back  from  the  entrance  of  several  of 
the  blind  alleys  on  Jackson  Street  could  be  seen, 
notwithstanding  darkness,  the  shadowy  forms  of 
a  few  anxious  ones,  and  an  occasional  guttural 
sound  caught  the  ear,  but,  probably,  never  in  the 
last  fifteen  years  have  the  streets  of  this  part  of 
San  Francisco,  been  so  free  from  Chinamen  as 
they  were  last  evening." 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  311 

The  principal  effort  of  the  speakers  at  the 
great  meeting  was  directed  to  calming  the  excite 
ment  of  the  people,  already  wrought  up  to  a 
pitch  of  frenzy,  and  trying  to  prevent  an  imme 
diate  mad  riot  upon  the  peaceable  Chinaman. 

The  spirit  of  the  meeting,  however,  was  man 
ifested,  when  a  street  car  came  into  the  crowd, 
containing  a  little  Chinese  boy,  who,  all  uncon 
scious  and  ignorant  of  what  was  going  on,  was 
on  his  way  to  visit  his  friends  in  Chinatown. 
The  mob  attacked  the  car,  pulled  the  boy  out, 
and  it  took  the  best  energies  of  a  whole  squad 
of  stalwart  policemen  to  save  the  little  fellow 
from  being  literally  torn  to  pieces  by  the  twenty 
thousand  brave  white  Christian  men  attending 
that  "  Grand  Anti- Chinese  Mass-meeting." 

At  that  meeting  an  address  and  series  of  res 
olutions  were  unanimously  adopted,  to  be  for 
warded  to  the  President  and  Congress,  containing 
the  oft-repeated  charges  against  the  Chinese,  and 
a  plea  for  the  prohibition  of  further  immigration 
from  that  land.  The  resolutions  are  supposed  to 
embody  the  whole  case  of  the  opposition,  and 
read  as  follows: 

"Resolved,  That  the  sentiments  embodied  in 
the  foregoing  address  arc  expressions  of  the 
opinion  of  this  assemblage,  and  in  view  of  the 
facts  therein  set  forth  we  earnestly  recommend 


312  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

the  Congress  of  the  United  States  to  give  this 
matter  of  Chinese  immigration  its  immediate 
and  earnest  attention. 

" Resolved,  That  the  people  of  California  in 
their  perfect  loyalty  to  the  Government  and  the 
law,  recognize  their  duty  to  the  Chinese  now 
among  us,  promising  them  protection,  and  all 
their  rights,  and  a  guarantee  of  all  their  privi 
leges  to  which  they  are  entitled  under  exist 
ing  laws. 

"Resolved,  That  in  relation  to  the  continuing 
immigration  from  China,  we  claim  the  right, 
from  our  superior  knowledge  of  the  results  of 
this  immigration,  and  our  observation  of  its  prac 
tical  workings,  and  as  an  intelligent  part  of  the 
American  people,  to  declare  our  unalterable  hos 
tility  to  it,  to  say  that  the  bulk  of  this  immigra 
tion  is  pure  and  simple  peonage. 

''Resolved,  That  the  majority  of  the  emigrants 
are  coolies,  in  bondage  to  secret  organizations 
more  powerful  than  our  courts,  and  held  in  serv 
itude  for  debt — a  slavery  only  terminable  at  the 
will  of  the  masters,  over  whom  our  laws  have  no 
control. 

''Resolved,  That  this  system  is  immoral  and 
brutalizing,  worse  than  African  slavery.  It  in 
volves  a  systematic  violation  of  our  State  and 
municipal  laws,  and  is  attended  by  murder,  false 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  313 

and  forcible  imprisonment,  perjury,  subornation, 
kidnaping,  and  the  sale  of  women  for  the  pur 
pose  of  prostitution. 

"Resolved,  That  the  presence  of  these  people 
in  our  midst  has  a  tendency  to  demoralize  society 
and  minister  to  its  worse  vices.  It  aids  to  cor 
rupt  and  debauch  our  youth,  and  the  labor  of 
this  servile  class  comes  in  direct  competition  with 
the  labor  of  American  citizens.  It  degrades  in 
dustrial  occupations,  drives  white  labor  from  the 
market,  multiplies  idlers  and  paupers,  and  is  a 
menace  to  Christian  civilization. 

"If  these  things  be  true — and  we  challenge 
their  successful  denial — then  we  have  a  right  to 
demand  of  Congress  that  it  shall  investigate,  and 
then  legislate  for  the  abatement  of  this  evil ; 
therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  the  General  Committee  hav 
ing  this  meeting  in  charge  shall  appoint,  the 
Mayor  of  the  city  approving,  not  to  exceed  five 
citizens  of  San  Francisco,  intelligent  upon  this 
Chinese  question,  who  shall  proceed  to  Wash 
ington,  and,  having  submitted  this  address  and 
these  resolutions  to  the  House  of  Congress,  shall 
earnestly  urge  such  legislation  as  may  be  neces 
sary  to  meet  the  requirements  of  this  occasion." 

But  before  the  Commissioners  appointed  to 
present  these  resolutions  in  Washington  had  time 


314  THE  CHINESE  JN  AMERICA. 

to  make  the  journey,  Senator  Sargent  executed, 
what  may  be  called  in  a  small  way,  a  splendid 
political  maneuver,  by  using  all  the  arguments 
these  men  had  gathered  up  and  prepared,  and 
the  additional  testimony  hostile  to  the  Chinese 
given  before  the  Senate  Investigating  Committee 
in  California,  and  had  exhausted  himself  and  the 
subject  in  picturing  all  the  evils  actual  and  imag 
inary  of  the  Chinese  population,  in  a  brilliant 
Anti-Chinese  speech  before  the  Senate. 

So  far  as  taking  the  wind  out  of  the  sails  of 
the  California  Anti-Chinese  Commissioners  is 
concerned,  Senator  Sargent's  speech  was  a  grand 
success.  But  it  was  a  one-sided,  partisan  effort. 
The  same  exhaustive  study  of  the  evils  existing 
among  the  Irish  or  German  immigration,  if  at 
tended  with  the  same  concealment  or  perversion 
of  favorable  testimony  as  in  the  case  of  Mr. 
Sargent's  Anti-Chinese  speech,  would  make  a 
case  almost  equally  strong  against  them.  Senator 
Sargent's  speech  is  not  that  of  the  statesman, 
but  of  the  partisan  advocate,  the  selfish  politi 
cian.  To  give  authority  to  his  points  he  quotes 
from  the  testimony  of  certain  missionaries,  but 
is  careful  to  withhold  all  their  testimony  favor 
able  to  the  Chinaman,  and  only  quotes  detached 
sentences  which  can  be  made  to  sustain  his 
points  against  them. 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  315 

The  Chinamen,  in  the  mean  time,  seemed 
perfectly  confounded  by  this  general  outburst  of 
indignation  against  them,  and  many  began  to 
wish  themselves  out  of  this  Christian  country. 

The  leaders  did  propose  to  send  a  commission 
to  Washington,  but  when  their  practical  minds 
began  to  ask,  "What  for?"  they  concluded  not 
to  be  so  foolish.  They  did,  however,  write  to 
"Yung  Wing"  and  asked  him  to  represent  them 
in  Washington.  They  also  forwarded  the  fol 
lowing  memorial: 

"A    MEMORIAL    FROM    REPRESENTATIVE    CHINA 
MEN  IN  AMERICA. 

"To   His  EXCELLENCY  U.  S.   GRANT,   President  of  the 
United  States  of  America: 

"SiR, — In  the  absence  of  any  Consular  repre 
sentative,  we,  the  undersigned,  in  the  name  and  in 
behalf  of  the  Chinese  people  now  in  America, 
would  most  respectfully  present  for  your  consid 
eration  the  following  statements  regarding  the 
subject  of  Chinese  immigration  to  this  country  : 

"I.  We  understand  that  it  has  always  been 
the  settled  policy  of  your  Honorable  Government 
to  welcome  immigration  to  your  shores  from  all 
countries,  without  let  or  hinderance.  The  Chi 
nese  are  not  the  only  people  who  have  crossed 
the  ocean  to  seek  a  residence  in  this  land. 


3l6  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

"II.  The  Treaty  of  Amity  and  Peace  between 
the  United  States  and  China  makes  special  men 
tion  of  the  rights  and  privileges  of  Americans  in 
China,  and  also  of  the  rights  and  privileges  of 
Chinese  in  America. 

"III.  American  steamers,  subsidized  by  your 
Honorable  Government,  have  visited  the  ports 
of  China,  and  invited  our  people  to  come  to  this 
country  to  find  employment  and  improve  their 
condition.  Our  people  have  been  coming  to 
this  country  for  the  last  twenty-five  years,  but 
up  to  the  present  time  there  are  only  150,000 
Chinese  in  all  these  United  States,  60,000  of 
whom  are  in  California,  and  30,000  in  the  city  of 
San  Francisco. 

"IV.  Our  people  in  this  country,  for  the 
most  part,  have  been  peaceable,  law-abiding  and 
industrious.  They  performed  the  largest  part  of 
the  unskilled  labor  in  the  construction  of  the 
Central  Pacific  Railroad,  and  also  of  all  other 
railroads  on  this  coast.  They  have  found  useful 
and  remunerative  employment  in  all  the  manu 
facturing  establishments  of  this  coast,  in  agricul 
tural  pursuits,  and  in  family  service.  While  ben 
efiting  themselves  with  the  honest  reward  of 
their  daily  toil,  they  have  given  satisfaction  to 
their  employers,  and  have  left  all  the  results 
of  their  industry  to  enrich  the  State.  They 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  317 

have  not  displaced  white  laborers  from  these  po 
sitions,  but  have  simply  multiplied  the  industrial 
enterprises  of  the  country. 

"V.  The  Chinese  have  neither  attempted  nor 
desired  to  interfere  with  the  established  order  of 
things  in  this  country,  either  of  politics  or  relig 
ion.  They  have  opened  no  whisky  saloons,  for 
the  purpose  of  dealing  out  poison  and  degrading 
their  fellow-men.  They  have  promptly  paid  their 
duties,  their  taxes,  their  rents,  and  their  debts. 

"VI.  It  has  often  occurred,  about  the  time 
of  the  State  and  general  elections,  that  political 
agitators  have  stirred  up  the  minds  of  the  people 
in  hostility  to  the  Chinese,  but  formerly  the  hos 
tility  has  usually  subsided  after  the  elections 
were  over. 

4<  VII.  At  the  present  time  an  intense  excite 
ment  and  bitter  hostility'against  the  Chinese  in  this 
land,  and  against  further  Chinese  immigration,  has 
been  created  in  the  minds  of  the  people,  led  on  by 
his  Honor,  the  Mayor  of  San  Francisco,  and  his  as 
sociates  in  office,  and  approved  by  his  Excellency 
the  Governor,  and  other  great  men  of  the  State. 

' '  These  great  men  gathered  some  twenty 
thousand  of  the  people  of  this  city  together  on 
the  evening  of  April  5th,  and  adopted  an  address 
and  resolutions  against  Chinese  immigration. 
They  have  since  appointed  three  men  (one  of 


318  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

whom  we  understand  to  be  the  author  of  the  ad 
dress  and  resolutions)  to  carry  that  address  and 
those  resolutions  to  your  Excellency,  and  to  pres 
ent  further  objections,  if  possible,  against  the  im 
migration  of  the  Chinese  to  this  country. 

"•VIII.  In  that  address  numerous  charges  are 
made  against  our  people,  some  of  which  are 
highly  colored  and  sensational,  and  others,  hav 
ing  no  foundation  whatever  in  fact,  are  only  cal 
culated  to  mislead  honest  minds  and  create  an 
unjust  prejudice  against  us. 

"  We  wish  most  respectfully  to  call  your  atten 
tion,  and  through  you,  the  attention  of  Congress, 
to  some  of  the  statements  of  that  remarkable  pa 
per,  and  ask  a  careful  comparison  of  the  state 
ments  there  made  with  the  facts  of  the  case ;  and, 

"  (a)  It  is  charged  against  us  that  not  one  virtu 
ous  China  woman  has  been  brought  to  this  coun 
try,  and  that  here  we  have  no  wives  nor  children. 

11  The  fact  is,  that  already  a  few  hundred  Chi 
nese  families  have  been  brought  here.  These  are 
all  chaste,  pure,  keepers-at-home,  not  known  on 
the  public  street.  There  are  also  among  us  a 
few  hundred,  perhaps  a  thousand,  Chinese  chil 
dren,  born  in  America. 

* '  The  reason  why  so  few  of  our  families  are 
brought  to  this  country  is,  because  it  is  contrary 
to  the  custom  and  against  the  inclination  of 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  319 

virtuous  Chinese  women  to  go  so  far  from  home, 
and  because  the  frequent  outbursts  of  popular  in 
dignation  against  our  people  have  not  encouraged 
us  to  bring  our  families  with  us  against  their  will. 
"Quite  a  number  of  Chinese  prostitutes  have 
been  brought  to  this  country  by  unprincipled 
Chinamen,  but  these,  at  first,  were  brought  from 
China  at  the  instigation,  and  for  the  gratification 
of  white  men.  And  even  at  the  present  time, 
it  is  commonly  reported  that  a  part  of  the  pro 
ceeds  of  this  villainous  traffic  goes  to  enrich  a 
certain  class  of  men  belonging  to  this  honorable 
nation — a  class  of  men,  too,  who  are  under  sol 
emn  obligation  to  suppress  the  whole  vile  busi 
ness,  and  who  certainly  have  it  in  their  power  to 
suppress  it,  if  they  so  desired. 

"  A  few  years  ago  our  Chinese  merchants 
tried  to  send  these  prostitutes  back  to  China,  and 
succeeded  in  getting  a  large  number  on  board  the 
outgoing  steamer ;  but  a  certain  lawyer  of  your 
honorable  nation  (said  to  be  the  author  and 
bearer  of  these  resolutions  against  our  people), 
in  the  employ  of  unprincipled  Chinamen,  pro 
cured  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  brought  all 
those  women  on  shore  again,  and  the  Courts  de 
cided  that  they  had  a  right  to  stay  in  this  coun 
try  if  they  so  desired.  Those  women  are  still 
«ere,  and  the  only  remedy  for  this  evil  and  also 


320  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

for  the  evil  of  Chinese  gambling  lies,  so  far  as  we 
can  see,  in  an  honest  and  impartial  andministra- 
tion  of  municipal  government  in  all  its  details, 
even  including 'the  police  department.  If  officers 
would  refuse  bribes,  then  unprincipled  Chinamen 
could  no  longer  purchase  immunity  from  the 
punishment  of  their  crimes. 

"  (&)  It  is  charged  against  us  that  we  have  pur 
chased  no  real  estate.  The  general  tone  of  public 
sentiment  has  not  been  such  as  to  encourage  us  to 
invest  in  real  estate,  and  yet  our  people  have  pur 
chased  and  now  own  over  eight  hundred  thousand 
dollars  worth  of  real  estate  in  San  Francisco  alone. 

"  (c)  It  is  charged  against  us  that  we  eat  rice, 
fish,  and  vegetables.  It  is  true  that  our  diet  is 
slightly  different  from  the  people  of  this  honor 
able  country  ;  our  tastes  in  these  matters  are  not 
exactly  alike  and  can  not  be  forced.  But  is  that 
a  sin  on  our  part,  of  sufficient  gravity  to  be 
brought  before  the  President  and  Congress  of  the 
United  States? 

"(d)  It  is  charged  that  the  Chinese  are  no 
benefit  to  this  country.  Are  the  railroads  built 
by  Chinese  labor  no  benefit  to  the  country  ?  Are 
the  manufacturing  establishments,  largely  worked 
by  Chinese  labor,  no  benefit  to  this  country?  Do 
not  the  results  of  the  daily  toil  of  one  hundred 
thousand  men  increase  the  riches  of  this  conntrv? 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  321 

Is  it  no  benefit  to  this  country  that  the  Chinese 
annually  pay  over  two  million  dollars  duties 
at  the  Custom  House  of  San  Francisco  ?  Is 
not  the  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  annual 
poll  tax  paid  by  the  Chinese  any  benefit?  And 
are  not  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  taxes 
on  personal  property,  and  the  Foreign  Miner's 
tax,  annually  paid  to  the  revenues  of  this  country, 
any  benefit? 

"  (e)  It  is  charged  against  us  that  the  Six  Chi 
nese  Companies  have  secretly  established  judicial 
'tribunals,  jails,  and  prisons,  and  secretly  exercise 
judicial  authority  over  the  people.  This  charge 
has  no  foundation  in  fact.  These  Six  Com  pa 
nies  were  originally  organized  for  the  purpose  of 
mutual  protection  and  care  of  our  people  coming 
to  and  going  from  this  country.  The  Six  Com 
panies  do  not  claim,  nor  do  they  exercise  any 
judicial  authority  whatever,  but  are  the  same  as 
any  tradesmen  or  protective  and  benevolent  so 
cieties.  If  it  were  true  that  the  Six  Companies 
exercise  judicial  authority  over  the  Chinese  peo 
ple,  then  why  do  all  the  Chinese  people  still  go 
to  American  tribunals  to  adjust  their  differences, 
or  to  secure  the  punishment  of  their  criminals  ? 

''Neither  do  these  Companies  import   either 
men  or  women  into  this  country. 

* '  (/)  It  is  charged  that  all  Chinese  laboring 

21 


322  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

men  are  slaves.  This  is  not  true  in  a  single  in 
stance.  Chinamen  labor  for  bread.  They  pur 
sue  all  kinds  of  industries  for  a  livelihood. 

"Is  it  so  then  that  every  man  laboring  for 
his  livelihood  is  a  slave  ?  If  these  men  are  slaves, 
then  all  men  laboring  for  wages  are  slaves. 

"(g)  It  is  charged  that  the  Chinese  commerce 
brings  no  benefit  to  American  bankers  and  im 
porters.  But  the  fact  is,  that  an  immense  trade 
is  carried  on  between  China  and  the  United 
States  by  American  merchants,  and  all  the  carry 
ing  business  of  both  countries,  whether  by  steam 
ers,  sailing-vessels  or  railroad,  is  done  by  Ameri 
cans.  No  China  ships  are  engaged  in  the  carry 
ing  traffic  between  the  two  countries. 

"Is  it  a  sin  to  be  charged  against  us  that  the 
Chinese  merchants  are  able  to  conduct  their 
mercantile  business  on  their  own  capital?  And 
is  not  the  exchange  of  millions  of  dollars  annually 
by  the  Chinese  with  the  banks  of  this  city  any 
benefit  to  the  banks? 

' '  (/i)  We  respectfully  ask  a  careful  considera 
tion  of  all  the  foregoing  statements.  The  Chinese 
are  not  the  only  people,  nor  do  they  bring  the 
only  evils  that  now  afflict  this  country.  And 
since  the  Chinese  people  are  now  here  under 
solemn  treaty  rights,  we  hope  to  be  protected  ac 
cording  to  the  terms  of  this  treaty. 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  323 

"But,  if  the  Chinese  arc  considered  detri 
mental  to  the  best  interests  of  this  country,  and 
if  our  presence  here  is  offensive  to  the  Ameri 
can  people,  let  there  be  a  modification  of  exist 
ing  treaty  relations  between  China  and  the  United 
States,  either  prohibiting  or  limiting  further  Chi 
nese  immigration,  and,  if  desirable,  requiring  also 
the  gradual  retirement  of  the  Chinese  people, 
now  here,  from  this  country.  Such  an  arrange 
ment,  though  not  without  embarrassments  to  both 
parties,  we  believe,  would  not  be  altogether  un 
acceptable  to  the  Chinese  Government,  and, 
doubtless,  it  would  be  very  acceptable  to  a  cer 
tain  class  of  people  in  this  honorable  country. 

"With  sentiments  of  profound  respect, 

LEE  MING  How, 

President  Sam  Yup  Company. 
LEE  CHEE  KWAN, 

President  Tung  Wo  Company. 

LAW  YEE  CHUNG, 

President  Kong  Chow  Company. 

CHAN  LEUNG  KOK, 

President  Ning  Tung  Company. 
LEE  CHEONG  CHIP, 

President  Hop  Wo  Company. 

CHAN  KONG  CHEW, 

President  Yan  Wo  Company. 
LEE  TONG  HAY, 

President  Chinese  Young  Men  s  Christian  Association*  / 


324  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

An  anonymous  tract,  of  some  twenty  pages, 
written  for  the  Chinese  by  Professor  Augustus 
Layres,  and  entitled  "The  Other  Side  of  the 
Chinese  Question,"  was  also  forwarded  to  Wash 
ington,  and  to  the  principal  cities  of  the  country. 
These  two  documents  presenting,  as  they  do,  a 
more  truthful  statement  and  reasonable  view  of 
the  question,  than  the  heated  partisan  plead 
ings  of  the  opposition,  have  already  done  much 
to  counteract  the  vicious  impressions  made  at 
first  by  the  aspiring  agitators. 

The  champion  Anti-Chinese  paper  of  San 
Francisco  was  compelled  to  acknowledge  that 
the  "Memorial  of  the  Chinese"  was  respectful  in 
tone,  and  was  in  all  its  characteristics  a  document 
that  indicated  that  it  was  drawn  up  by  an  astute 
and  accomplished  diplomat.  One  of  the  Anti- 
Chinese  Commissioners,  Mr.  P.  A.  Roach,  has 
confessed  that  the  statements  of  the  "  Memorial" 
caused  the  Anti-Chinese  Commissioners  much 
trouble.  The  candid  and  impartial  reader  can 
pass  his  own  judgment  upon  the  merits  of  the 
case  after  having  heard  both  the  accuser  and  the 
accused. 

In  the  mean  time  a  committee  of  California 
Senators,  appointed  to  investigate  the  whole  ques 
tion  of  Chinese  immigration,  and  report  at  the 
next  meeting  of  the  Legislature,  held  its  sessions 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  325 

in  San  Francisco  and  Sacramento.  The  com 
mittee  professed  to  seek  all  facts  bearing  on  the 
Chinese  question.  But  the  class  of  questions 
constantly  proposed  by  this  committee  to  the 
witnesses  and  the  direction  seemingly  given  to  the 
investigation  had  the  tendency  to  bring  into  notice 
all  the  testimony  unfavorable  to  the  Chinese,  and 
to  throw  into  the  shade  important  and  reliable 
testimony  in  their  favor. 

It  seems  to  have  been  a  part  of  the  design  or 
scheme  of  this  committee  to  destroy,  if  possi 
ble,  the  confidence,  and  to  modify  the  views,  of 
the  Christian  public  in  the  Eastern  States,  with 
regard  to  the  influence  of  Christian  missions 
upon  the  Chinese  people.  Wicked,  godless  men, 
of  infamous  reputation  in  the  communities  where 
they  live,  and  heathen  of  bitter  hostility  to  the 
Christian  religion,  were  called  upon  to  testify  as 
to  the  character  of  Protestant  missionaries  among 
the  Chinese  in  California,  and  as  to  the  number 
and  character  of  the  Chinese  converts  to  Chris 
tianity.  The  testimony  of  such  men  has  been 
reported  and  published  in  all  the  land,  and  has 
added  fuel  to  the  flames  of  prejudice  and  bigotry. 
One  of  those  witnesses  went  so  far  as  to  testify 
that  a  certain  Protestant  missionary  was  engaged 
in  selling  Chinese  women  for  purposes  of  prosti 
tution.  This  was  a  little  too  bare-faced,  even  for 


326  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

that  committee,  and  "for  various  reasons  that  part 
of  the  testimony  of  F.  L,.  Gordon  is  omitted  "  in  the 
official  report  of  the  testimony  taken,  but  it  had 
already  gone  forth  from  them  in  all  the  newspapers 
of  the  land,  and  stands  before  the  public,  plainly 
revealing  the  spirit  and  intent  of  the  committee. 

Since  the  great  meeting,  and  as  one  of  its  le 
gitimate  results,  and  during  the  session  of  the 
Senate  Investigating  Committee,  assaults  and 
riots  upon  the  Chinese  people  have  been  more 
numerous  than  before.  A  newspaper  corre 
spondent  from  Truckee,  says: 

"Last  night  an  armed,  masked  party,  num 
bering  about  fifteen,  proceeded  about  a  mile  back 
of  town  to  a  Chinese  camp  situated  on  Front 
Creek,  burned  their  cabins,  and  deliberately  shot 
down  three  of  them,  killing  two  outright.  The 
other  was  mortally  wounded." 

The  same  correspondent  adds  the  following 
suggestive  paragraph  : 

"Now  that  our  mill-owners  and  others  here 
tofore  employing  Chinese  laborers  have  discharged 
them,  and  employed  white  laborers,  the  latter 
will  not  avail  themselves  of  the  inducements  held 
out  to  them,  and  the  consequence  is  that  Chi 
nese  labor  is  again  resorted  to." 

A  curious  state  of  things,  indeed.  White 
men  are  engaged  upon  a  job,  but  refuse  to  work. 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  327 

Chinamen,  of  necessity,  are  employed,  and  the 
white  men,  masked  and  under  cover  of  night,  go 
and  shoot  down  the  Chinamen  and  burn  their 
cabins.  They  will  neither  work  themselves  nor 
let  any  body  else.  But  Mr.  Pixley  and  Mr. 
Roach  are  sent  by  the  municipal  government  of 
San  Francisco  to  memorialize  Congress  on  the 
virtues  of  these  white  men  and  the  vices  of 
these  Chinamen !  !  At  Antioch  a  mob  of  white 
men  drove  the  Chinamen  out  of  town  one  day, 
and  burned  their  houses  the  next,  and  the  news 
paper  correspondent  when  narrating  the  affair, 
piously  said,  "This  Chinese  nuisance  has  become 
a  disgrace  which  the  law-abiding  population  will 
not  much  longer  permit  to  eat  away  the  founda 
tions  of  Christianity  !  !  !" 

The  next  day  the  South  San  Francisco  Anti- 
Chinese  Club  passed  a  resolution  admitting 
' '  boys  of  the  ward  to  the  meetings  on  the  ground 
that  they  could  be  useful  in  working  out  the  de 
sired  end,"  and  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  "to  the 
people  of  Antioch  for  the  noble  stand  they  had  taken 
and  the  rousing  example  they  had  set" 

A  morning  paper  said: 

"It  is  scarcely  safe  for  a  Chinaman  to  walk 
the  streets  in  certain  parts  of  this  city.  When 
seen,  whether  by  day  or  night,  they  are  merci 
lessly  pelted  with  stones  by  the  young  scape-graces 


328  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA, 

who  now,  there  being  no  schools,  have  nothing 
else  to  do,  while  older  hoodlums  look  on  ap 
provingly,  and,,  if  the  Chinamen  venture  to  resist 
the  assaults,  take  a  hand  in  and  assist  the  young 
sters.  Chinese  wash-houses  are  sacked  almost 
nightly.  A  Chinaman  apparently  has  no  rights 
which  a  white  hoodlum,  big  or  little,  is  bound  to 
respect." 

A  San  Francisco  paper  also  says : 
"  There  are  many  indications  that  a  majority 
of  the  police  force,  if  not  absolutely  indifferent 
to  the  persecution  and  maltreatment  of  China 
men  by  the  hoodlums,  at  least  make  no  earnest 
effort  to  arrest  this  class  of  offenders  and  bring 
them  to  justice.  Yesterday  afternoon,  at  about 
five  o'clock,  an  inoffensive  Chinaman  was  at 
tacked  by  a  large  crowd  of  boys  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Mint  on  Fifth  Street.  He  was  quite  se 
verely  injured,  and  after  blowing  a  policeman's 
whistle,  fled,  pursued  by  a  crowd  of  boys,  which 
at  Howard  Street  numbered  over  two  hundred, 
who  assailed  the  fleeing  Mongolian  with  such 
missiles  as  were  available.  In  the  rear  of  this 
crowd  was  a  self-possessed  officer,  who  contem 
plated  the  scene  with  unruffled  serenity,  and 
seemed  to  think  that  he  had  discharged  his  whole 
duty  when  he  had  shaken  his  head  at  the  ag 
gressors  and  said,  in  accents  of  mild  deprecation, 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  329 

'  Go  away,  boys ;  go  away. '  No  arrest  was 
made,  and  there  was  no  attempt  to  make  any. 
Yet  it  would  not  have  been  difficult  for  an  ener 
getic  officer  to  have  got  hold  of  some  of  the 
ringleaders.  It  is  the  impunity  which  the  per 
petrators  of  such  attacks  enjoy  that  makes  offenses 
of  this  kind  so  frequent.  If  a  few  of  those  who 
indulge  in  the  amusement  of  beating  and  stoning 
Chinaman  were  brought  to  punishment  these 
outrages  would  cease.  But  as  it  is,  the  boys 
are  encouraged  to  regard  such  offenses  as  venial, 
and  to  indulge  in  them  'just  for  fun." 

During  the  intense  heat  of  the  Anti-Chinese 
Crusade,  in  April  and  May,  1876,  the  municipal 
government  of  San  Francisco  demonstrated  its 
ability  to  close  Chinese  gambling-houses,  but  they 
were  only  closed  temporarily,  for  in  August,  after 
three  or  four  months  only  had  elapsed,  these  dens 
were  all  open  again,  and  rumors  floated  around 
among  my  Chinese  friends,  to  the  effect  that  the 
Chinese  gambling  fraternity  had  paid  large  mon 
eys  for  the  privilege  of  resuming  their  business. 

Such  is  the  character  and  history  of  the  pres 
ent  Anti-Chinese  excitement.  An  able  editorial 
in  the  New  York  World,  of  June  5th,  well  and 
truthfully  said : 

"  The  Anti-Chinese  agitation  on  the  Pacific 
Coast  has,  in  all  likelihood,  been  given  more 


330  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

prominence  than  it  deserves.  Those  who  partic 
ipated  in  it  are  generally  of  the  brawling  class, 
made  up  of  small  politicians,  anxious  to  curry 
favor  with  laborers  and  artisans,  who  are  appre 
hensive,  especially  in  a  time  of  commercial  de 
pression,  and  always  easily  aroused;  and  sen 
sation  mongers  eager  to  accept  the  offered  op 
portunity  to  write  up  Chinatown  again,  and  in 
vent  a  few  details  to  suit  the  occasion.  Be 
hind  them  is  the  hoodlum  element  on  the  alert 
for  any  thing  which  promises  a  riot  and  occasion 
for  pillage. 

' '  In  the  midst  of  the  turmoil  raised  by  these 
agitators,  it  is  not  easy  that  the  voice  of  common 
sense  is  heard,  and  principle  is  very  apt  to  be 
swayed  or  silenced  by  prejudice.  Nevertheless, 
we  venture  the  prediction  that  if  the  respectable 
citizens  of  California  could  be  polled,  they  would 
by  an  overwhelming  majority  declare  that  the 
present  Mongolian  crusade  is  as  undesirable  as 
it  is  unjust. 

"Besides,  the  Anti-Chinese  argument  defeats 
itself,  for  in  the  same  breath  it  is  urged  that  the 
Celestials  pour  in  there  by  myriads.  It  is  also 
charged  that  they  do  n't  come  to  stay  and  be 
Americanized,  but  as  soon  as  they  have  made  a 
a  little  money  take  it  and  themselves  home  to 
the  Flowery  Kingdom.  The  positions  are  incon- 


THE  ANTI-CHINESE  CRUSADE.  331 

sistent,  and  till  we  have  elected  to  stand  on  one 
we  must  reject  them  both.  If  the  Chinese  pay 
taxes,  rents,  and  fares,  and  earn  and  purchase 
that  which  they  wear  and  consume,  the  commu 
nity  must  be  the  gainer.  If  they  work  for  less 
wages  than  other  people,  there  is  a  saving  of 
capital  which  will  find  other  investment.  Inas 
much  as  the  most  rabid  denunciations  of  the  Chi 
nese  come  from  people  who  do  not  work,  except 
when  menaced  by  starvation,  the  Chinese  have 
rather  the  better  of  the  argument.  So  with  the 
moral  feature  of  the  question.  The  prison  sta 
tistics  of  the  State  of  California  and  San  Fran 
cisco  show  the  average  of  crime  among  the  Chi 
namen  to  be  lower  than  among  the  rest  of  the 
population.  If  Chinese  prostitutes  are  inoculat 
ing  the  guileless  youths  of  San  Francisco  with 
terrible  disease  does  not  the  fault  rest  with  the 
guileless  youth?  It  is  by  no  means  flattering  to 
our  national  pride  that  in  this  Centennial  year 
such  a  discussion  as  this  should  be  waged  and 
that  all  the  courtesy  and  cogency  should  be  dis 
played  on  the  side  of  the  uncivilized  heathens." 

This  crusade  against  the  Chinese  in  America 
is  already  beginning  to  bear  fruit  in  China.  A 
correspondent  from  China  writes: 

"The  Chinese  excitement  in  San  Francisco  is 
now  pretty  generally  known  throughout  the  open 


332  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

ports,  and  has  created  a  bad  feeling  against  the 
Americans.  Educated  natives  characterize  it  as 
a  gross  infringement  on  the  treaty,  and  sure  to 
find  speedy  retaliation  on  Americans  here." 


THE  "SIX  COMPANIES."  333 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  "six  COMPANIES"  AND  CHINESE  SLAVERY. 

FROM  the  beginning  until  now  the  opposi 
tion  to  Chinese  immigration  has  constantly 
repeated  the  unqualified  statement,  that  a  large 
proportion  of  the  Chinese  who  come  to  this 
country  are  imported  or  brought  here  by  the 
"Six  Companies/'  or  their  agents,  and  that  all 
these  laboring  Chinamen  are  to  all  practical  in 
tents  and  purposes,  the  slaves  or  peons  of  these 
Companies.  This  charge  was  brought  against 
the  Chinese  as  early  as  1856,  and  was  ably  and 
exhaustively  answered  by  Mr.  Speer,  than  whom 
no  better  authority  could  be  given,  and  whose 
statements  of  the  design  and  practical  working 
of  these  Companies  we  have  given  and  indorsed 
on  page  229.  In  his  reply  to  Father  Buchard 
in  1873,  the  writer,  who,  from  long  experience 
with  the  Chinese  ought  to  have  known  what  he 
was  talking  about,  boldly  maintained  that  there 
was  no  slavery  of  Chinamen  in  America;  that 
the  Chinese  women  were  nearly  all  held  in  a  ter 
rible  bondage,  but  not  a  single  case  of  slavery  so 


334  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

far  as  the  male  population  was  concerned,  could 
be  found  among  all  the  Chinamen  in  America. 

All  the  reliable  testimony  before  the  recent 
California  Senate  Investigating-  Committee  has 
fully  sustained  these  statements.  Rev.  Dr. 
Loomis  and  Rev.  Mr.  Condit,  both  well  ac 
quainted  with  Chinese  matters  in  this  country, 
hold  the  same  opinion.  The  Presidents  of  the 
Six  Companies  themselves  in  their  ''Memorial" 
to  President  Grant  pointedly  and  boldly  deny 
that  they  import  either  men  or  women  into  this 
country,  and  declare  most  emphatically  that  in 
no  single  instance  is  a  Chinaman  in  the  United 
States  a  slave.  That  if  these  Chinese  laboring  men 
are  called  slaves,  then  all  men  laboring  for  vuages 
may  be  called  slaves.  But  in  face  of  all  this  tes 
timony  proving  the  charge  of  slavery  false,  and 
without  any  evidence  to  support  their  assertions, 
unprincipled  agitators  have  denounced  the  Six 
Companies  through  all  the  land,  as  importers  of 
coolie-slaves,  and  have  denounced  the  whole  Chi 
nese  laboring  class,  as  slaves  in  bondage  to  these 
companies.  A  cause  must  be  bad  indeed  when 
it  has  to  be  sustained  by  denunciation  without 
facts,  by  assertions  not  only  without  proof,  but 
contrary  to  abundant  and  reliable  evidence. 

If  these   Chinamen   are  all   slaves,   and  have 
been  slaves  during  these  twenty   years   of  their 


THE  "SIX  COMPANIES."  335 

residence  in  all  parts  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  in 
which  time  according  to  the  agitators  they  have 
"  constantly  blocked  our  courts  of  justice  "  with 
their  multiplied  civil  and  criminal  suits,  certainly 
it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  some  opportuni 
ties  would  have  occurred  for  obtaining  reliable 
evidence  as  to  the  existence  of  slavery  among 
them.  But  up  to  the  present  time  no  stick  evi 
dence  or  shadow  of  suck  evidence  has  been  pro 
duced.  These  Chinese  coolie-slaves  are  a  most 
remarkable  class  of  slaves.  They  go  and  come 
when  and  where  they  please,  work  or  refuse  to 
work  at  their  pleasure;  they  use  the  proceeds 
of  their  labor  as  they  choose,  buy  their  own 
clothes,  pay  their  own  rents,  go  to  the  theater, 
gamble,  smoke  opium,  bring  suits  in  our  courts, 
send  money  home  to  parents  and  friends,  and 
act  in  all  respects  just  like  free  men.  And  yet 
we  are  told  that  they  are  abject  slaves.  What 
wonderful  legislative  and  executive  ability  those 
six  Chinamen,  the  Presidents  of  these  Compa 
nies,  must  have  to  enable  them  to  hold  so  many 
people  in  such  abject  slavery.  Why  have  not 
some  of  these  slaves  taken  advantage  of  our  laws 
against  slavery,  and  prosecuted  their 'cruel  masters 
in  our  courts  and  obtained  a  decree  of  their  own 
freedom?  Why  do  the  hundreds  of  intelligent 
Chinese  Christians  in  America  constantly  assert 


336  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

that  there  is  no  such  thing  known  among  their 
people  in  this  country  as  slavery  or  bondage, 
except  in  the  case  of  the  women  ?  This  charge 
of  slavery  made  against  the  Chinese  ought  to  be 
as  publicly  and  widely  withdrawn  as  it  has  been 
publicly  and  widely  made,  unless  some  evidence 
can  be  produced  to  substantiate  the  charge.  A 
great  free  people,  in  the  very  act  of  celebrating 
the  First  Centennial  of  their  Independence,  can 
not  afford  to  wage  a  war  of  races,  based  upon  a 
tissue  of  falsehoods  and  willful  misrepresenta 
tions,  instigated  by  prejudice,  ignorance,  and 
bigotry,  and  conducted  on  the  methods  of  polit 
ical  chicanery. 

In  1862  an  able  Joint  Committee  of  the  Leg 
islature  of  the  State  of  California  was  appointed 
to  investigate  the  whole  Chinese  Question.  In 
their  report  that  Committee  said  : 

''They  (the  Chinese)  pursue  whatever  calling 
they  choose,  and  are  as  free  as  any  persons  in 
the  State.  Upon  this  head  your  Committee 
examined  them  at  great  length,  and  in  the  most 
minute  and  careful  manner,  and  your  Committee 
is  satisfied  that  there  is  no  system  of  slavery  or 
coolieism  amongst  the  Chinese  in  this  State. 
If  there  is  any  proof  going  to  establish  that  any 
portion  of  the  Chinese  are  imported  into  this 
State  as  slaves  or  coolies,  your  Committee  have 


THE  "SIX  COMPANIES."  337 

failed  to  discover  it.  ...  They  (the  re 
spectable  Chinese  merchants)  have  made  several 
attempts  to  send  their  abandoned  women  home 
to  China;  but  their  efforts  have  been  frustrated 
under  the  plea  that  this  is  a  free  country  "and 
these  women  can  do  as  they  please. 
Instead  of  driving  the  Chinese  out  of  the  State, 
bounties  might  be  offered  them  to  cultivate  rice, 
tea,  tobacco,  and  other  articles.  We  have  not 
the  power,  nor  ^should  it  be  our  policy,  to  shut 
ourselves  out  from  one  of  the  most  magnificent 
openings  of  the  age.  .  .  .  Let  us  legislate 
as  becomes  a  great,  liberal,  magnanimous  people. 
Let  us  show  our  superiority  by  our  kindness." 

As  to  the  Six  Companies,  and  the  power  they 
wield,  great  misapprehensions  prevail  in  the 
minds  of  the  people.  It  is  the  custom  of  the 
Chinese  in  China,  when  any  considerable  number 
emigrate  from  one  city  to  another,  to  come  to 
gether  and  form  a  kind  of  mutual-aid  society,  or 
guild.  The  officers  are  elective,  and  hold  their 
offices  for  a  specified  length  of  time.  Voluntary 
subscriptions  are  raised,  and  voluntary  taxes 
are  imposed  for  the  purpose  of  providing  a  hall 
or  quarters  -for  the  meetings  of  the  guild.  Gen 
erally  a  temple  or  shrine  of  worship,  dedicated 
to  the  particular  divinities  of  the  clan,  is  erected 
in  connection  with  this  hall.  This  hall  becomes 

22 


338  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

the  rendezvous  of  the  members  and  retainers  of 
the  association.  Disputes  and  differences  among 
themselves  are  generally  compromised  and  set 
tled  according  to  the  advice  of  the  officers  and 
influential  members,  without  resort  to  magis 
trates.  Membership  is  entirely  voluntary,  and 
may  be  severed  at  the  will  of  the  individual. 
Of  such  character  are  the  several  Chinese  associ 
ations  in  California  now  known  as  the  Six  Com 
panies.  Each  Company  represents  a  certain 
district  in  China,  and  claims  as  members  all  the 
Chinese  from  that  district.  There  are  no  formal 
rites  or  ceremonies  of  admission.  No  admission 
fee  is  charged.  No  certificates  of  membership 
are  issued.  The  name,  age,  and  native  place  of 
each  Chinese  immigrant  is  obtained,  immediately 
on  the  arrival  of  the  steamer,  by  the  officers  of 
the  several  Companies,  and  the  name  thus  ob 
tained  is  at  once  enrolled  on  the  books  of  the 
Company  representing  the  district  from  which 
he  came. 

In  the  early  days  of  California  these  Compa 
nies  were  more  useful  than  now.  They  gave 
advice  to  the  newly  arrived  immigrant,  they 
took  some  care  of  the  helpless  poor  and  the 
sick,  and  they  did  quite  a  business  in  shipping 
home  the  bones  of  the  dead.  But  now  nearly 
all  the  immigrants  have  personal  friends  already 


THE  "SIX  COMPANIES."  339 

here,  waiting  to  receive  and  advise  them.  The 
sick  and  poor  are  also  now  generally  cared  for 
by  personal  friends,  if  cared  for  at  all.  And  the 
opinion  seems  to  be  growing  rapidly  among  the 
Chinese  that  the  bones  of  a  poor  Chinaman  can 
rest  almost  as  well  in  America  as  in  China. 
And  since  the  Legislature  of  California  is  so 
anxious  to  retain  these  bones  in  the  country  that 
it  proposed  a  tax  of  ten  dollars  a  man  for  the 
privilege  of  taking  away  his  bones,  the  Compa 
nies  are  not  doing  so  large  a  business  in  the 
bone-exporting  line  as  formerly. 

Differences  and  disputes  among  themselves, 
however,  are  still,  at  the  option  of  the  parties, 
referred  to  the  officers  and  influential  members 
of  these  associations  as  a  court  of  arbitration. 
But  the  Companies  do  not  claim  to  have,  or 
attempt  to  use,  any  civil  or  criminal  jurisdiction 
over  the  people.  And  indeed  the  compromises 
recommended  by  the  Companies  are  not  always 
accepted  by  both  parties  in  dispute,  and  such 
cases  are  frequently  appealed  from  the  adjust 
ment  recommended  by  the  Companies  to  the 
decision  of  our  courts. 

The  only  power  which  these  Companies  claim, 
or  which  they  try  to  exercise  over  the  people,  is 
the  power  to  prevent  any  Chinaman  from  return 
ing  to  China  without  a  permit  bearing  the 'stamp 


340  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

of  the  Companies.  The  revenues  of  the  Com 
panies  are  derived  mostly  from  these  permits. 
But  this  power  they  could  never  exercise  with 
out  the  aid  or  partnership  of  the  ''Pacific  Mail 
Steamship  Company,"  and  other  steamship  com 
panies  engaged"  in  this  carrying  traffic.  The 
Chinese  Companies  have  shown  more  commercial 
shrewdness  in  this  matter  than  the  Americans 
have  shown  commercial  ability. 

But  if  the  Chinese  laboring  men  are  slaves  to 
the  one  party  they  also  are  slaves  to  the  other. 
The  Six  Companies  have  a  binding  contract  with 
the  steamship  companies,  by  which  every  China 
man  applying  for  passage  to  China  shall  be  re 
fused,  unless,  in  addition  to  the  regular  fare,  he 
can  show  a  permit  from  the  Six  Companies.  Be 
fore  granting  this  permit  the  Companies  require 
that  the  applicant  settle  all  claims  which  anxious 
creditors  may  have  left  with  them  for  collection, 
and  pay  a  fee  to  the  Companies  for  their  per 
mit  varying  at  different  times  from  six  dollars  to 
twenty.  At  present  the  usual  fee  is  said  to  be 
five  dollars.  These  Companies,  as  will  be  seen, 
have  no  claim  upon  the  men  that  could  be  col 
lected  in  our  courts  of  law,  and  have  no  power 
of  themselves  to  force  the  payment  of  this  de 
mand,  hence  their  shrewdness  in  making  the 
American  and  English  steamship  companies  their 


THE  "SIX  COMPANIES."  341 

collectors.  Professedly,  the  money  thus  collected 
is  devoted  to  the  support  of  the  offices  of  the 
Companies  and  to  return  the  bones  of  the  dead. 
Actually,  it  goes  largely  to  enrich  the  "ring" 
of  which  the  Companies  are  formed,  and  to  sup 
port  the  institutions  of  idolatry.  The  Chinese 
who  embrace  the  Christian  religion  refuse  to  pay 
this  tax  from  principle;  and  the  Six  Companies 
could  never  collect  it  from  the  masses  of  idola- 
tors  even,  without  the  aid  of  the  steamship 
companies. 

The  fare  from  San  Francisco  to  Hong  Kong, 
for  a  Chinaman,  has  usually  been  from  forty  to 
fifty  dollars,  but  in  1874  competition  reduced  the 
fare  for  a  time  to  twelve  dollars,  and  two  dollars 
of  that  was  returned  as  commission  to  the  per 
son  bringing  the  passenger.  The  officers  of  the 
Six  Companies,  having  become  a  little  anxious 
at  the  increase  of  Chinese  Christians,  took  ad 
vantage  of  this  low  fare,  and  made  a  desperate 
move  to  check  this  tendency  to  learn  Christian 
doctrine.  Their  scheme  came  to  light  when  two 
Christian  Chinamen  of  the  Methodist  Mission, 
and  two  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission,  applied  for 
passage.  On  being  told  that  the  fare  was  twelve 
dollars  each,  they  tendered  the  money  for  four, 
and  asked  for  tickets.  They  were  refused,  and 
were  informed  that  without  the  permit  of  the 


342  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Six  Companies  the  fare  was  one  hundred  dollars 
each.  They  presented  the  credentials  and  badge 
of  the  "Chinese  Young  Men's  Christian  Associ 
ation,"  and  asked  that  that  be  recognized  as  a 
certificate  of  character,  permit,  or  whatever  else 
it  might  be  called.  They  were  refused.  In 
consternation  they  reported  to  the  missionaries, 
and  the  missionaries,  as  on  many  previous  occa 
sions,  undertook  to  purchase  the  tickets  for 
them ;  but  they  received  the  same  treatment  as 
the  Christian  Chinese,  and  reached  the  same  re 
sults — that  is,  a  square  refusal  to  carry  a  China 
man  without  the  permit  of  the  Six  Companies. 
Both  at  the  ticket-office  and  to  the  agents  in 
their  office  the  missionaries  made  a  tender  of  the 
usual  fare  and  asked  for  tickets,  but  were  re 
fused  on  the  grounds  already  given.  In  previous 
instances,  on  personal  application  by  the  mis 
sionaries,  Chinese  Christians  had  been  permitted, 
as  a  special  favor  mostly,  to  buy  their  passage 
to  China  without  the  indorsement  of  the  Six 
Companies,  but  now  the  gate  was  firmly  closed. 
The  absolute,  astounding  fact  was  that  a  heathen 
Chinaman  could  purchase  a  passage  to  China  of 
cither  of  the  steamship  companies  for  twelve  dol 
lars,  while  a  Christian  Chinaman  must  pay  one 
hundred  dollars  for  the  same  class  ticket ! 

If  we  blame  the  heathen  Chinese  for  this  piece 


THE  "SIX  COMPANIES."  343 

of  strategy,  what  shall  we  say  of  the  Christian 
men  composing  the  great  "Pacific  Mail  Steam 
ship  Company,"  drawing  a  subsidy  of  half  a  mill 
ion  dollars  annually  from  a  Christian  government, 
who  thus  boldly  lent  themselves  to  this  wicked 
discrimination  in  favor  of  heathenism  against 
Christianity  ?  The  matter  was  brought  up  in  Con 
gress  by  Mr.  Albright  of  Pennsylvania,  but  so 
near  the  close  of  the  session  that  no  action  was 
taken.  The  Steamship  Company  in  the  mean 
time  concluded  to  allow  Christian  Chinamen  to 
return  to  China,  if  in  addition  to  paying  their 
fare  they  presented  a  recommend  or  indorsement 
of  character  from  some  one  of  the  missionaries, 
and  also  the  stamp  of  the  Chinese  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  and  thus  that  little  matter 
stands  to-day. 

Apropos  to  this  narrative,  we  give  the  follow 
ing  communication  sent  to  the  Six  Companies  in 
May,  1874,  and  not  yet  answered. 

"We,  the  members  of  the  Chinese  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  in  California,  respect 
fully  represent  to  the  Six  Chinese  Companies 
that  we  have  formed  ourselves  into  a  society 
with  the  above  name  and  title,  for  purposes  of 
mutual  assistance,  and  for  social,  literary,  and  re 
ligious  improvement,  and  we  desire  henceforth 
that  whatever  connection  we  may  have  been 


344  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

supposed  to  have  with  either  or  all  of  the  Six 
Companies  may  cease ;  and  we  hereby  release  said 
Companies,  individually  and  collectively,  from  all 
obligation  to  provide  for,  defend,  or  protect  us 
in  any  way  whatever,  and  in  consequence  of 
such  release  we  ask  to  be  excepted  in  any  and 
all  assessments,  taxes  or  charges  of  whatever 
kind  which  may  be  levied  on  other  Chinese  by 
these  Societies. 

"If  any  of  our  number  is  held  to  any  of 
the  Societies,  by  debts  legitimately  incurred,  each 
individual  will  pay  such  indebtedness,  and  we  ask 
to  be  left  free  to  make  our  own  negotiations  for 
return  to  China  without  the  interference  or  re 
straint  of  the  Six  Companies. 

"Believing  this  request  to  be  reasonable  and 
just,  and  believing  moreover,  that  it  can  not  be 
refused  without  giving  ground  for  the  charge 
made  by  the  enemies  of  the  Chinese,  that  the 
Six  Companies  are  engaged  in  importing  coolies, 
and  that  they  hold  all  Chinese  under  certain  re 
straints  while  in  this  country,  and  prevent  their 
return  to  China  except  they  comply  with  their 
demands,  we  respectfully  submit  this,  our  request, 
and  wait  an  answer  at  your  earliest  convenience. 

"The  privileges  above  specified  are  asked  for 
all  who  are  at  present  members  of  our  Association 
and  for  all  who  shall  hereafter  become  members. 


THE  "SIX  COMPANIES."  345 

"  Adopted  in  full  meeting  of  the  Association, 
and  by  their  order  signed  by  the  officers  of  the 
Association." 

The  officers  and  influential  members  of  these 
Companies  heretofore  have  not  favored  the  idea 
of  a  Chinese  Consul  in  San  Francisco ;  but  dur 
ing  the  late  excitement  they  began  to  see  how 
powerless  they  are  without  any  officially  recog 
nized  representative  to  speak  for  them. 

In  the  absence  of  such  representative  these 
Companies  have  been,  and  still  continue  to  be, 
the  only  medium  of  effectual  communication  with 
the  masses  of  the  Chinese  in  this  country.  The 
"  Manifesto"  to  the  American  people,  the  offi 
cial  letter  to  Mayor  Bryant,  and  the  ' '  Memo 
rial"  to  President  Grant  have  all  come  from  these 
Companies,  in  efforts  to  defend  their  people  dur 
ing  the  present  Anti-Chinese  excitement.  These 
documents  present  a  marked  contrast  to  the  de 
nunciations  and  tirades  of  the  Anti-Chinese  Com 
missioners.  Even  the  opposition  has  confessed 
that  these  documents  contain  a  summary  of  the 
facts  and  arguments  in  the  case  ;  that  they  are 
respectful  in  tone,  and  give  evidence  of  diplo 
matic  skill  and  experience.  The  reader  can  judge 
for  himself. 


346  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

MATERIAL  FACTS  AND  CONSIDERATIONS  BEARING  UPON 
THE  CHINESE  PROBLEM,  FINANCIAL,  MORAL,  AND 
POLITICAL. 

FINANCIAL. 

A  UNITED  STATES  Senator,  in  a  famous 
Anti-Chinese  speech,  said,  "  Month  after 
month,  and  year  after  year,  the  Chinaman  pushes 
step  by  step  in  the  march  of  possession,  and 
where  he  once  puts  down  his  slipper  he  holds 
his  ground  as  determinedly  as  though  he  had 
taken  root  in  the  soil.  Give  him  a  two  years' 
lease  of  a  building  in  good  condition  in  the  Chi 
nese  quarter,  and,  no  matter  how  high  a  price 
you  fix,  he  will  pay  it  willingly.  He  will  not 
ask  you  to  make  any  repairs.  He  will  go  to 
the  expense  of  painting  the  front  of  the  building 
with  green,  white,  and  vermillion,  so  that  the 
outside  as  well  as  the  inside  will  display  a  Chi 
nese  character.  The  property  falls  in  value,  be 
comes  dilapidated  and  offensive.  When  the  lease 
has  expired  the  Chinese  tenant  makes  his  own 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  347 

terms,  and  either  obtains  a  re-lease  at  a  small 
figure,  or  buys  the  property." 

Unfortunately  for  all  this  class  of  rhetoric, 
the  stubborn  facts  are,  that  rents  in  Chinatown 
do  not  decrease,  but  ///crease  from  year  to  year; 
that  the  Chinaman  almost  always  pays  more  for 
the  second  lease  than  for  the  first ;  that  the 
property  leased  to  Chinamen  in  San  Francisco  is 
among  the  most  productive  in  the  city ;  and  that 
the  thirty  thousand  Chinese  in  San  Francisco 
pay  annually  to  our  people  in  rents  alone  over 
one  million  of  dollars.  The  white  people  who 
are  driven  away  from  Chinatown  do  not  cease  to 
inhabit  houses,  but  find  more  desirable  locations 
in  other  parts  of  the  city.  Surely  it  would  be  a 
difficult  proposition  for  a  statesman,  a  political 
economist,  or  for  a  politician  even,  to  maintain 
that  a  decrease  in  the  number  of  inhabitants  o-f  a 
city  would  tend  to  ///crease  the  price  of  rentals 
or  the  aggregate  value  of  real  estate.  ^  However 
odious  the  Chinese  may  be,  their  presence  here 
not  only  does  not  decrease  the  aggregate  value  of 
the  real  estate  of  the  city,  but  absolutely  in 
creases  it  to  the  amount  occupied  by  therrA 

While  for  years  the  cry  has  been  constantly 
raised,  and  published  in  all  the  world,  that  Chi 
nese  immigration  is  retarding  the  progress  and 
working  the  ruin  of  California,  the  remarkable 


348  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

and  indisputable  fact  remains,  that  during  all 
these  years,  and  up  to  the  present  time,\~Cali- 
fornia  has  enjoyed  a  development  in  material 
wealth  and  resources  scarcely  equaled  in  the  his 
tory  of  any  other  State  in  the  UniqnT]  The  de 
velopments  in  the  agricultural  interests  of  the 
State  are  truly  wonderful.  Already  California  has 
become  one  of  the  greatest  of  wheat-growing 
States.  Her  fruit  orchards  and  ranches  are  fa 
mous  in  all  the  world.  Her  manufacturing  en 
terprises  are  already  numerous,  and  indications 
promise  that  as  soon  as  the  price  of  labor  will 
permit,  California  will  rival  all  New  England  in 
the  number  and  magnitude  of  her  manufacturing 
interests.  The  patient,  toiling  Chinaman  has 
made  this  development  possible.  His  bone  and 
sinew  have  been  prime  factors  in  all  this  progress. 
He  has  performed  a  considerable  part  of  the  un 
skilled  labor  in  all  these  industries.  Without 
him  they  could  not  have  been  developed  for 
many  years  to  come,  simply  because  capital  will 
not  invest  where  loss  is  absolutely  certain.  The 
Chinaman  has  performed  his  work,  earned  his 
wages,  and  received  his  pay.  It  matters  but  lit 
tle  comparatively  to  us,  whether  he  has  sent  the 
paltry  sum  home  to  China  to  nourish  and  bless 
aged  parents  and  dependent  friends — which  he 
has  done  to  a  small  extent — or  whether  he  has 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  349 

spent  it  here  for  food  and  clothing,  in  rents  and 
traveling  expenses — which  he  has  done  to  a  great 
extent ;  the  material  fact  in  the  case  is  this,  that 
all  the  results  of  his  industry  are  left  with  us  to 
enrich  and  develop  the  State. 

These  Chinamen  have  labored  on  the  farms 
and  on  the  ranches,  in  the  mills  and  in  the  facto 
ries,  on  the  railroads  and  in  the  brick-yards  of 
California,  and  yet  when  we  come  to  ask  who 
own  and  control  these  interests,  and  who  are  en 
riching  themselves  and  developing  the  State  by 
the  proceeds  of  the  wheat  lands,  the  fruit  ranches 
and  orchards  of  California,  the  answer  always 
is,  white  men,  never  Chinamen.  The  same  is 
true  of  the  factories  and  of  the  mills,  and  of  the 
carrying  traffic  both  by  land  and  by  sea,  also  of 
the  banking  institutions  and  insurance  compa 
nies.  To  some  of  these  industries  the  Chinaman 
has  heen  indispensable,  and  his  labor  and  patron 
age  have  aided  in  the  development  of  them  all. 

In  presence  of  these  facts,  well  do  the  Chi 
nese  memorialists  ask,  "Is  not  the  result  of  the 
daily  toil  of  one  hundred  thousand  laboring  men 
any  benefit  to  this  country?"  It  might  also  with 
great  pertinency  be  asked,  Who  are  the  losers 
by  the  presence  of  these  industrious  Chinamen? 
Do  the  bankers  lose  who  transact  the  enormous 
exchange  business  with  China?  Do  the  ship- 


35O  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

builders  and  ship-companies  lose  who  find  em 
ployment  for  their  ships  ?  the  captains  and 
sailors  who  navigate  them  ?  the  stevedores  and 
'longshoremen  who  load  and  unload  them?  the 
custom-house  brokers  who  enter  and  clear  them? 
the  insurance  companies  who  insure  them?  the 
draymen  who  haul  the  goods,  or  the  warehouse 
men  who  store  them,  or  the  expressmen  who 
carry  the  passengers  and  their  baggage  ?  Are 
all  or  any  of  these  interests  imperiled  by  the 
Chinese  immigration? 

Many  of  our  merchants  have  large  transac 
tions  with  the  Chinese.  They  sell  them  whole 
cargoes  of  flour,  and  large  invoices  of  cotton 
cloth,  beaver  cloth,  denims,  hats,  hardware,  and 
groceries.  Would  these  merchants  be  benefited 
or  injured  by  the  expulsion  of  the  Chinese? 
Our  farmers  have  been  compelled  to  organize 
granges  for  self-protection,  because  they  had  to 
pay  so  much  for  bags,  supplies,  and  other  items 
of  production,  and  to  sell  their  grain  so  low  that 
they  could  not  prosper.  Does  Chinese  cheap 
labor  imperil  their  interests?  Will  it  be  an  ad 
vantage  to  them  to  pay  four  dollars  a  day  for 
field  labor,  instead  of  two  or  three  dollars,  as 
now? 

As   to   skilled   labor,   such  as   the   mechanic, 
the  carpenter,   the  stone-mason,   the  bricklayer, 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  351 

the  molder,  etc.,  the  Chinese  have  not  as  yet 
even  entered  into  competition  with  these,  and, 
so  far  from  being  imperiled  by  Chinese  immigra 
tion,  all  this  class  of  labor  has  thus  far  been 
stimulated  and  benefited  by  it. 

In  presence  of  these  facts  and  considerations, 
this  financial  "Chinese  Problem"  begins  to  nar 
row  down,  and  we  feel  disposed  just  here  to 
push  our  inquiry  quite  closely  as  to  whose  inter 
ests  really  are  imperiled  by  the  presence  of  the 
Chinese.  What  class  of  persons  are  injured, 
and  to  what  extent  are  they  injured?  We  find 
that  the  only  party  which  claims  to  be  injured  is 
a  certain  class,  every  one  of  whom  has  the  op 
portunity  and  privilege,  if  he  has  the  desire,  to 
rise  to  the  dignity  of  a  voter  and  freeholder — a 
class  which,  for  the  most  part,  has  come  to  us 
from  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  which 
has  always,  to  a  large  extent,  monopolized  the 
hod-carrying  and  ditch-digging  interests  of  the 
country — a  class  which,  when  hired  to  work  in 
our  kitchens,  has  assumed  to  lord  it  over  our 
whole  households — a  class  largely  controlled  by 
a  foreign-born  priesthood,  in  the  interest  of  a 
foreign  potentate.  This  class,  with  its  advisers, 
has  always  been  determined  to  keep  the  price 
of  unskilled  labor  in  California  far  above  what  is 
paid  in  other  parts  of  our  country.  Left  to  the 


352  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

tender  mercies  of  this  class  of  laborers,  the 
wheels  of  progress  and  development  in  California 
would  long  ago  have  ceased  to  move. 

If  Chinese  cheap  labor  is  the  curse  to  this 
class  which  it  is  represented  to  be,  if  it  has  been 
and  still  is  taking  the  bread  from  the  white 
working-class,  how  is  it  that  right  here  in  Cali 
fornia,  where  the  Chinamen  are  the  most  numer 
ous,  the  general  condition  of  the  white  working- 
class  is  far  better  than  in  any  other  city  of  the 
United  States,  or  indeed  of  the  world?  We 
read  of  great  destitution  and  suffering  among 
the  working-classes  in  Chicago.  In  New  York 
thirty  thousand  men  are  out  of  employment,  be 
sides  a  whole  army  of  women ;  and  in  Cincinnati 
not  long  ago  a  crowd  of  hungry  men,  bearing  the 
motto,  "Bread or  Blood,"  waited  upon  the  Mayor 
of  the  city  and  demanded  work.  No  such  destitu 
tion  and  suffering  has  ever,  to  any  extent,  existed 
in  California.  No  such  cry  was  ever  heard  in  the 
streets  of  San  Francisco.  On  the  contrary,  dur 
ing  all  the  financial  depression  east^pf  the  Rocky 
Mountains  for  the  last  two  years,!  California  and 
Oregon,  "cursed  with  Chinese  cheap  labor," 
have  enjoyed  constant  and  marked  prosperity. 
The  cheap  labor  of  the  Chinese  is  not  responsible 
for  the  destitution  and  financial  depression  in  the 
Eastern  States,  but  it  certainly  has  helped  to 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  353 

stimulate  the  activities  and  prosperity  of  the 
Pacific  Coast.  It  ought  also  to  be  repeated  here, 
and  with  emphasis,  that  in  California,  all  along 
in  the  past,  and  at  the  present  time,  in  spite  of 
all  this  noise  about  Chinese  competition, _jabor 
for  white  men  is  as  abundant,  and  wages  are  as 
high,  and  living  is  as  cheap  as  in  any  part  of  the 
United  States. 

There  is  also  a  material  consideration  with 
regard  to  this  cheap-labor  question  which  ought 
not  to  be  overlooked;  that  is,  (that  cheap  labor 
makes  cheap  products.  Cheap  labor  means 
cheap  rents,  cheap  flour,  cheap  clothing,  cheap 
living,  s  It  is  plain  to  any  common  intelligence 
that  the  people  in  California  of  ordinary  means, 
the  men  of  families  with  small  incomes,  men  of 
limited  salaries,  men  undertaking  to  develop 
small  farms  or  fruit  ranches,  have  been  greatly 
aided  and  benefited,  instead  of  being  injured,  by 
Chinese  cheap  labor.  And  it  requires  no  great 
stretch  of  logic  to  show  that^the  white  laborer 
himself  has  also  been  benefited,  even  though 
the  price  of  his  labor  has  been  reduced;  for  the 
whole  reduction  in  the  cost  of  living  is  much 
greater  than  the  reduction  of  his  daily  wages; 
This  is  easily  illustrated.  When  flour  was  fifty 
dollars  a  barrel,  and  wages  ten  dollars  a  day,  it 
required  five  days'  work  to  purchase  a  barrel 

23 


354  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

of  flour;  but  when  flour  is  six  dollars  a  barrel, 
and  wages  two  dollars  a  day,  it  requires  only 
three  days'  work  to  buy  a  barrel  of  flour.  The 
white  day-laborer  in  California,  at  present  pre 
vailing  prices  of  labor  and  means  of  living,  can 
support  a  family  more  comfortably  than  in  the 
early  days  when  labor  and  cost  of  living  were 
much  higher  than  now. 

Financially,  then,  this  "Chinese  Problem" 
resolves  itself  into  this  question,  Shall  this  nation 
repudiate  and  nullify  the  foundation  principles 
of  its  Government  for  the  purpose  of  saving  one 
class  of  foreigners  from  a  healthy  competition 
with  another  class  of  foreigners?  Or,  plainer 
still,  shall  the  Chinamen  be  driven  away  in  order 
to  continue  the  monopoly;  of  unskilled  labor  to 

the  Irishmen? 

MORALS. 

The  Chinese  standard  of  morals  is  not  so  high 
as  that  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus.  The  customs 
and  practices  of  the  Chinese  in  general  are  not 
of  so  high  and  noble  a  character  as  the  gen 
eral  practices  and  customs  of  strictly  Christian 
communities. 

x  Pure  Christianity  is  remarkably  unselfish,  and 
seeks  the  good  of  all.  Pure  paganism  is  ex 
ceedingly  selfish,  and  seeks  the  good  of  the 
individualT"\ 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  355 

Fearful  wickedness  and  gross  immoralities 
abound  among  a  portion  of  the  Chinese  in  Amer 
ica.  All  that  the  opposition  to  Chinese  immi 
gration  has  said  or  can  say  of  these  villainous 
practices  and  abominable  crimes  among  the  Chi 
nese,  so  far  as  a  portion  of  them  is  concerned,  is 
only  too  true. 

But  that  is  only  one  side,  the  dark  side  of 
the  picture.  In  business  and  commercial  trans 
actions,  the  Chinese  are  as  honest  and  punctual 
as  any  people  in  the  world.  It  is  true,  that 
even  here  and  now, in  San  Francisco,  they  have 
"the  reputation  of  paying  promptly  their  dues, 
their  taxes,  and  their  rents." 

The  humiliating  fact  of  this  Chinese  moral 
question  is  that  no  matter  what  accursed  evil  we 
find  existing  among  the  Chinese,  \ve__find  our 
own  people,  hand  in  hand  with  the  Chinaman, 
engaged  in  the  same  villainous  practices,  and 
partaking  of  the  same  unlawful  gains/  *  *  People 
living  in  glass  houses  should  not  throw  stones  at 
their  neighbors."  The  Chinese  are  inveterate 
gamblers,  but  officers  of  this  Christian  Govern 
ment  have  enriched  themselves  by  the  unlawful 
profits  of  this  Chinese  vice.  Many  of  the  Chi 
nese  women  in  America  are  prostitutes,  but  it  is 
a  humiliating  fact  that  these  at  first  were  brought 
here  at  the  instigation  and  for  the  gratification 


356  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

of  white  men  ;  and  even  now  these  courtesans 
are  patronized,  to  some  extent,  by  abandoned 
white  adults,  and  a  class  of  badly  brought  up 
boys.  These  women  are  bought  and  sold  like 
the  brutes  that  perish,  and  white  men  often  re 
ceive  pay  for  assisting,  directly  or  indirectly,  in 
the  transaction.  But  in  condemning  these  vices 
and  sins  of  the  Chinese,  we  must  remember  that 
they  are  not  vices  and  sins  peculiar  to  them. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  ten  times  more 
money  is  staked  and  lost  in  San  Francisco  every 
day  by  white  gamblers  than  at  all  the  Chinese 
gaming-tables  in  the  city.  And  as  for  prostitu 
tion,  within  the  precincts  of  Chinatown,  and  hov 
ering  around  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  are  about 
as  many  abandoned  white  courtesans  as  there 
are  Chinese  women  altogether  in  San  Francisco. 
But  it  is  claimed  that  this  Chinese  evil  is  de 
moralizing  and  ruining  our  boys.  This  is  indeed 
an  alarming  state  of  things.  It  speaks  badly  for 
our  boys,  and  worse  for  their  parents.  But  if 
true,  it  demonstrates  that  there  is  no  impassable 
barrier  to  assimilation  of  the  races ;  that  there 
is  no  hostility  or  repugnance  of  the  races  so 
powerful  as  to  prevent  the  mingling  of  the  na 
tionalities  under  favorable  circumstances.  The 
fact  that  dissolute  men  and  depraved  boys  pat 
ronize  these  Chinese  courtezans  in  California; 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  357 

the  fact  that  many  of  our  great  merchants  in 
China  raise  families  of  half-breed  children  by 
consorting  with  Chinese  mistresses;  the  fact  that 
in  San  Francisco,  one  white  man  at  least,  has 
taken  a  Chinese  woman  as  his  legal  wife,  and 
one  white  woman  is  legally  married  to  a  Chinese 
husband  ;  the  fact  that  in  New  York  a  number 
of  Chinamen  have  married  Irish  wives ;  the  fact 
that  Yung  Wing,  LL.  D. ,  has  married  an  edu 
cated  and  accomplished  American  lady — all  these 
facts  show  that  there  is  no  impassable  abyss  pre 
venting  the  mingling  and  assimilation  of  the  two 
races.  But  the  material  fact  in  the  ruin  of  our 
boys  is  this,  that  in  every  instance  they  have  taken 
their  first  lessons  in  the  path  of  ruin  in  the  whisky 
shops  and  drinking  saloons  of  our  Christian  civili 
zation. 

Never  yet  has  a  single  Californian  boy  been 
contaminated,  either  in  mind  or  body,  by  a  Chi 
nese  courtesan,  until  he  has  taken  a  few  lessons 
of  sinful  pleasure  in  these  Christian  saloons, 
these  ante-rooms  of  hell.  In  San  Francisco  there 
are  about  three  thousand  Chinese  women,  many 
of  whom  are  enslaved  prostitutes,  and  in  San 
Francisco  are  about  three  thousand  places  where 
intoxicating  liquors  are  sold.  Many  of  the  very 
men  who  are  crying  out  so  loudly  against  Chi 
nese  immigration,  because  of  the  ruin  of  our 


358  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

boys  by  Chinese  courtesans,  are  themselves  pat 
rons  of  these  drinking  saloons  which  give  the 
boys  their  first  lessons  in  vice  and  send  them 
headlong  in  the  road  to  ruin. 

The  supporters  and  defenders  of  the  three 
thousand  drinking  saloons,  which  are  making- 
drunkards  of  our  boys,  are  denouncing  all  China 
men,  and  memorializing  Congress  against  Chinese 
immigration,  because  the  boys,  which  they  them 
selves  have  been  instrumental  in  debauching, 
spend  their  nights  in  Chinatown. 

On  this  point,  Mr.  B.  S.  Brooks,  a  lawyer  of 
long  residence  in  San  Francisco,  says: 

"As  for  the  whites,  there  are  but  few  whom 
the  Chinese  courtesans  are  able  to  entice  to  their 
embrace,  and  these  are  not  of  a  character  to 
be  injured,  either  morally  or  physically,  even, 
by  association  with  Chinese  prostitutes.  The 
old  are  the  outcasts  of  other  cities  in  all  the 
world,  seeking  their  last  refuge  in  San  Fran 
cisco.  The  young  are  the  hoodlums, — sons  of 
foreign  immigrants,  brought  up  to  no  trade, 
taught  to  despise  tfee  humble  origin  of  their  par 
ents,  to  despise  economy  and  hard  labor.  These 
stand  on  the  street  corners,  drink  and  smoke ;  in 
sult  every  passer-by ;  assault  each  Chinaman  that 
passes ;  find  means  anyhow  to  support  their  idle 
ness,  and  supply  their  extravagance;  know  all 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  359 

roads  to  vice,  and  follow  them.  They  visit  every 
haunt  of  sin,  but  it  is  not  Chinese  prostitution 
that  ruins  them." 

The  same  class  of  ruined  boys  is  found  in  all 
the  large  cities  of  America,  even  where  no  China 
women  are  to  be  found.  The  remedy  for  this 
fearful  evil  will  hardly  be  found  in  the  prohibition 
of  Chinese  immigration,  but  rather  in  the  better 
bringing  up  of  our  own  boys  and  in  an  honest 
and  efficient  execution  of  municipal  law. 

California's  Senator  in  arraigning  the  Chinese 
before  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  said: 

"The  Chinese  when  numerous,  so  as  to  give 
each  other  countenance,  are  dangerous  infractors 
of  peace,  and  violators  of  law.  They  are  divided 
into  clans,  and  fight  savagely  among  themselves 
on  some  unknown  cause  of  hatred." 

But,  surely,  if  they  only  fight  and  kill  each 
other,  they  can  not  injure  white  men  much  by 
their  quarrels.  They  are  simply  doing  the  busi 
ness  of  the  Anti-Chinese  leagues.  The  fact  is, 
however,  that  while  the  Chinese  are  clannish, 
and  the  clans  are  often  hostile  to  each  other, 
their  hostility  seldom  takes  the  form  of  personal 
violence.  They  have  been  connected  with  a 
great  many  bloody  assaults,  but  in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten  they  have  been  only  the  innocent, 
helpless  victims  of  what  they  call  Christian  bar- 


360  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

barism.  On  this  very  day  in  which  these  lines 
are  written,  the  morning  papers  of  San  Francisco 
report  the  following  affair,  in  which  a  Chinaman 
sustains  the  part  usually  played  by  that  people 
in  this  country,  in  cases  of  fights  and  quarrels: 

"On  Sunday  afternoon  while  a  small  Chinese 
youth  was  pursuing  the  even  tenor  of  his  way 
along  Clementina  Street  near  Eighth,  he  was  sud 
denly  set  upon  by  a  crowd  of  hoodlums,  one  of 
whom  bravely  knocked  off  his  hat.  As  the  lit 
tle  fellow  turned  around  to  regain  his  lost  prop 
erty,  the  entire  gang  of  valiant  young  Ameri 
cans  pitched  into  him  with  rocks,  clubs,  and  other 
articles  of  warfare,  cutting  a  large  gash  in  the 
back  of  his  head,  and  finally  leaving  him  sense 
less  upon  the  pavement.  He  was  picked  up 
by  some  of  his  countrymen  and  carried  into  a 
wash-house  where  his  wounds  were  dressed. 
During  this  outrage  a  crowd  of  interested,  full- 
grown  male  and  female  hoodlums  stood  rubbing 
their  hands  over  the  fun  which  they  did  not  try 
to  interrupt." 

Outrages  like  the  above  are  of  such  frequent 
occurrence  as  to  form  a  part  of  the  every-day  his 
tory  of  California.  While  the  Christian  Senator 
was  ringing  his  charges  against  the  Chinese  be 
fore  the  Senate,  ten  thousand  heathen  families 
in  China  were  reading  letters  from  their  absent 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  361 

sons,  husbands,  or  brothers  in  California,  telling 
of  assaults  like  the  above  which  they  had  suf 
fered  at  the  hands  of  American  Christians!  Had 
the  honorable  Senator  been  pleading  for  instead 
of  against  the  Chinaman,  he  might  have  been 
more  eloquent  even  than  he  was. 

There  have  been  riots  in  California  against 
the  Chinese,  as  at  Los  Angeles,  and  other  places, 
which,  all  the  circumstances  considered,  tlarow 
into  the  shade  the  horrors  of  the  Tientsin  mas 
sacre.  There  were  mobs  and  riots  in  San  Jose 
and  Alameda,  during  the  local  option  election, 
in  which  thousands  of  excited,  beer-drinking, 
drunken  Germans,  mobbed  and  insulted  respecta 
ble  women  in  their  o\vn  tents,  and  drove,  by 
brute  force  and  drunken  violence,  law-abiding 
citizens  from  the  polls,  all  in  the  interest  of 
whisky  and  beer.  Upon  those  riots  the  Chinese 
looked  with  wonder  and  astonishment — politi 
cians  with  complacency,  if  not  with  approval. 

It  does  not  tend  to  the  bettering  of  their 
morals,  that  the  Chinese  live  in  over-crowded 
tenements.  But  it  may  be,  that  the  municipal 
government  of  San  Francisco  has  not  hit  upon 
the  best  method  for  improving  their  morals  in 
this  respect,  by  arresting  them  in  their  beds,  in 
the  middle  of  the  night,  and  driving  them  like 
brutes,  in  droves  of  forty  and  sixty,  to  prison, 


362  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

because  found  in  rooms  with  less  than  five  hun 
dred  cubic  feet  of  space  to  a  man.  The  moral 
effect  of  this  performance  is  somewhat  impaired 
by  locking  them  up  in  rooms  twice  as  crowded 
as  were  the  rooms  from  which  they  were  taken, 
and  the  effect  is  still  further  weakened  the  next 
morning,  by  wantonly  cutting  off  their  cues,  if, 
unable  to  pay  the  ten  dollars  fine,  they  are  com 
pelled  to  lodge  in  the  jail.  The  five-hundred 
cubic-feet-air  law  is  not  executed  upon  any  others 
than  the  Chinese,  though  thousands  besides  them 
violate  it.  And  although  Chinatown  is  densely 
crowded,  it  is  not  more  crowded  than  the  por 
tions  of  New  York  City  occupied  by  European 
immigrants.  If  the  one  case  demands  the  atten 
tion  of  the  general  Government,  the  other  does 
likewise. 

The  charge  of  an  excessive  amount  of  pau 
perism  and  crime  among  the  Chinese  has  been 
made  and  sustained  by  State  Prison  reports. 
Our  eloquent  Senator  stated  that  in  1873,  accord 
ing  to  official  reports  seventeen  per  cent  of  the 
criminals  of  California  were  Chinese.  In  1875, 
although  the  Chinese  population  had  been  in 
creasing  faster  than  ever  before,  we  find  that 
something  less  than  seventeen  per  cent  of  the 
criminals  of  California  were  Chinese. 

We  may  also  bear  in   mind   that  there   is   a 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  363 

strong  probability  that  some  Chinamen  have 
been  arrested  and  punished,  on  the  testimony  of 
men  who  hate  them,  and  who,  doubtless,  in 
some  instances  were  themselves  the  guilty  par 
ties.  It  is  true  that  the  Chinese  do  not  much 
regard  the  sanctity  of  our  oaths,  and,  doubtless, 
they  sometimes  meet  together  beforehand  and 
manufacture  or  arrange  the  testimony  of  their 
witnesses  to  suit  their  interest  in  the  case,  so 
that  the  testimony  of  a  truthful  Chinaman — 
for  there  are  such — is  not  much  regarded  as ' 
against  a  white  man's  evidence.  The  Chinamen, 
however,  are  not  the  only  class  of  people  who 
daily  commit  perjury  in  our  courts  of  justice. 
A  late  judge  of  the  County  Court  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  only  a  short  time  ago,  told  me  that  "the 
crime  of  perjury  in  our  courts  by  white  wit 
nesses  is  as  common  as  is  the  smoking  of  cigars 
on  our  streets."  If  this  is  so,  it  is  quite  possi 
ble,  in  the  bitter  race  hostility  that  has  frequently 
raged  against  that  people,  that  some  of  this  per 
jured  testimony  has  sent  an  occasional  innocent 
Chinaman  to  the  felon's  cell.  Just  here,  too,  it  can 
not  be  improper  to  remember  that  the  Anti-Chi 
nese  memorialists,  who  claim  to  be  well  acquainted 
with  all  the  facts  in  the  case,  and  have  been  at 
great  pains  and  expense  to  enlighten  the  minds 
of  the  Eastern  people  on  the  subject,  squarely 


364  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

stated  that  one  quarter,  or  twenty-five  per  cent 
of  the  entire  population  of  California  is  Chinese. 
If  now,  we  take  these  figures  of  the  Anti-Chi 
nese  agitators  themselves,  we  shall  find,  that 
while  the  Chinese  number  twenty-five  per  cent 
of  our  population,  they  furnish  only  seventeen 
per  cent  of  our  criminals.  Not  a  bad  showing 
for  the  Chinamen  surely. 

But  since  this  door  has  been  opened  for  us, 
we  may,  without  prejudice  against  any  class,  in 
quire  as  to  the  nationality  of  the  inmates  of  our 
prisons,  almshouses,  and  hospitals. 

The  Official  report  of  the  San  Francisco  City 
and  County  Hospital,  for  the  year  ending  June 
30,  1875,  gives, 

Total   number   of  patients   admitted,   including  special 

hospital    for    Chinese,           ....  3,975 

Of  these  there  were  natives  of   United  Stales,    .          .  1,112 

Natives  of  Ireland,          .......  1,308 

Natives  of  China, 68 

All  other  nationalities,           ......  1,487 

That  is,  over  thirty-five  pfcr  cent  of  the  whole 
number  were  born  in  Ireland.  Less  than  two 
per  cent  were  born  in  China. 

Only  about  twenty-six  per  cent  of  the  whole 
number  were  born  in  the  United  States — seven 
ty-four  per  cent  were  foreigners.  Of  the  foreign 
ers  every  other  man  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
while  only  one  out  of  every  thirty-seven  was  a 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  365 

Chinaman.  These  statistics  are  quite  suggest 
ive,  when  it  is  remembered  that  our  population 
contains  about  the  same  number  of  people  that 
were  born  in  China  as  in  Ireland. 

The  official  report,  of  the  San  Francisco  Alms- 
house  for  the  same  time,  shows, 

Total  number  of  inmates,          ......  498 

Natives  of  United  States     ......  143 

Natives  of    Ireland,          .......  197 

Natives  of  China,  (none)     ......  ooo 

All  other  nationalities      .......  158 

That  is,  only  about  twenty-nine  per  cent  of 
the  whole  number  were  born  in  the  United  States, 
seventy-one  per  cent  were  foreigners,  and  of  these 
seventy  one  per  cent  of  foreigners  every  other 
man  was  an  Irishman,  but  not  a  single  Chinaman 
in  the  whole  number.  To  appreciate  these  sta 
tistics  it  is  only  necessary  to  read  the  rhetoric  of 
the  Anti-Chinese  Memorial  to  Congress,  stating 
that  '  *  The  Chinese  fill  our  prisons,  our  asylums, 
and_ourjipspitals.'' 

POLITICAL. 

What  then  are  the  evils  and  dangers  of  this 
Chinese  immigration  greater  and  more  fearful 
than  the  evils  and  dangers  of  our  European  im 
migration,  that  in  order  to  put  a  stop  to  it,  a 
departure  from  first  principles  is  required,  and  a 
radical  change  in  the  policy  and  usages  of  our 
Government  demanded? 


366  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

We  have  seen  that  Chinese  cheap  labor  is  not 
the  evil,  for  Chinese  labor  on  the  Pacific  Coast 
to-day  is  as  well  paid  as  is  the  same  kind  of  la 
bor  in  the  Atlantic  States.  It  is  not  a  lack  of 
industry  and  frugality  on  the  part  of  the  Chinese, 
nor  a  lack  of  commercial  enterprise  and  commer 
cial  honesty,  nor  yet  the  absence  of  brain  or 
muscle  power,  their  competitors  themselves  be 
ing  the  judges.  It  is  not  that  "  they  fill  our  pris 
ons,  our  almshouses  and  our  hospitals."  The 
immigration  from  Europe,  according  to  official 
statistics,  enjoys  largely  the  monopoly  of  the 
privileges  of  those  institutions.  It  is  not  because 
the  Chinese  do  not  "pay  promptly  their  debts, 
their  rents,  and  their  taxes."  Where,  then, 
shall  the  answer  be  found  ?  Is  it  that  they  have 
not  adopted  our  fashions  of  dress?  They  might 
perhaps  ask  what  is  the  constitutional  fashion  of 
dress  in  this  country  ?  Is  it  that  they  eat  rice, 
pork  and  vegetables,  instead  of  bread  and  cheese, 
beef  and  potatoes  ?  Is  it  that  they  drink  tea  in 
stead  of  whisky  and  beer  ?  Is  it  that  they  cut 
some  of  their  hair  shorter,  and  some  of  it  longer 
than  the  average  American  ?  Is  it  that  they  can 
not  speak  the  English  language  ?  Neither  do 
the  Germans,  and  the  Germans  are  quite  as  per 
sistent  in  retaining  their  native  tongue  in  this 
country  as  the  Chinese  are  in  retaining  theirs.  Is 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  367 

it,  that  the  Chinese  do  not  attend  our  public- 
schools  and  try  to  learn  our  language  and  our 
civilization  ?  The  fact  is,  that  though  taxed  to 
support  these  schools,  the  Chinese  are  peremp 
torily  refused  admission  to  their  privileges.  At 
great  public  expense,  a  part  of  which  is  borne 
by  the  Chinese,  we  teach  the  European  immi 
grants  our  language,  and  even  go  so  far  as  to 
perfect  them  in  their  own  language.  But  we 
give  to  the  Chinese  among  us,  no  such  opportu 
nity  to  cultivate  their  minds  and  improve  their 
condition,  and  yet  we  fear  their  competition. 

Is  the  danger  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  the 
Chinese  do  not,  to  any  extent,  observe  our  na 
tional  Sabbath-day  and  its  institutions?  There 
are  many,  perhaps  a  majority  of  the  intelligent 
citizens  of  this  Christian  Republic,  who  firmly 
believe  that  European  immigration  is  more  dan 
gerous  in  this  respect  than  the  Chinese,  more  de 
structive  of  the  morals  and  virtue  of  our  people, 
more  subversive  of  the  civil  and  religious  liber 
ties  of  which  we  boast.  Indeed,  there  seem  to 
be  but  two  valid  objections  against  this  Chinese 
immigration,  which  may  not  with  almost  if  not 
quite  equal  force  be  brought  against  a  large  por 
tion  of  our  immigration  from  Europe. 

i.  It  is  a  valid  objection  against  the  Chinese 
immigration  that  it  assimilates  so  slowly  with  our 


368  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

civilization.  But  the  reason  of  this  will  be  found, 
almost  as  much  in  the  corruptions  and  venality 
which  they  witness  among  our  people,  in  the  im 
perfect  manifestation  before  them  of  the  real 
principles  underlying-  our  civilization,  as  in  any 
inability  or  unwillingness  of  the  Chinese  to 
change.  But  in  spite  of  all  opposing  forces  the 
process  of  assimilation  has  already  begun,  and 
indications  point  to  a  rapid  development  of  this 
assimilating  tendency  in  the  near  future.  Al 
though  a  mixture  of  the  white  and  Chinese  races 
is  not  desirable,  nor  to  be  commended  on  our 
part,  yet  the  natural  repulsion  of  the  two  races 
can  not  be  greater  than  that  which  exists  between 
the  whites  and  negroes.  The  time  is  not  far  dis 
tant  when  the  immigrants  from  Asia,  and  the  im 
migrants  from  Europe  will  marry  and  intermarry 
with  each  other,  and  it  would  puzzle  a  philoso 
pher  to  tell  which  class  on  the  whole  would  have 
the  best  of  the  bargain. 

2.  The  possibility  of  vast,  overpowering  num 
bers,  of  a  somewhat  "indigestible  element," 
coming  from  all  parts  of  China,  is  a  real  source 
of  anxiety  in  connection  with  this  Chinese  im 
migration.  A  population  numbering  four  hun 
dred  millions  can  easily  spare  fifty  or  a  hundred 
millions.  But  some  relief  is  found  for  the  anx 
iety  which  this  feature  of  the  case  creates,  in  the 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  369 

fact  that  the  Chinese  Government  discourages 
emigration,  and  the  Chinese  people  themselves 
are  more  averse  to  leaving  home  and  country 
than  the  Europeans  seem  to  be.  The  marked 
hostility  of  our  Pacific  Coast  civilization  to  this 
Chinese  immigration  does  not  encourage  it  to 
come,  as  we  encourage  immigration  from  Eu 
rope.  (Jhe  total  amount  of  this  immigration  for 
the  whole  twenty-five  years  since  it  commenced, 
which,  with  all  the  stimulating  influences  brought 
to  bear  upon  it,  does  not  exceed  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand,  certainly  does  not  indicate  any 
cause  for  immediate  anxiety  or  alarm.  If  a  com 
mittee  of  intelligent  and  unprejudiced  men  were 
honestly  and  carefully  to  inquire  into  all  the 
sources  of  danger  to  the  future  prosperity  of  our 
State,  it  would  be  found  that  California's  greatest 
enemy  is  not  Chinese  immigration,  but  rum  and 
its  advocates. 

The  question  now  is,  whether  these  two  valid 
objections  to  Chinese  immigration — namely,  their 
^/  slowness  to  assimilate,  and  the  possibility  of 
overpowering  numbers — are  of  sufficient  gravity 
to  call  for  Congressional  action,  and,  if  so,  what 
shall  that  action  be? 

A  great  deal  has  been  said,  in  Congress  and 
out  of  Congress,  by  the  Anti-Chinese  memorial 
ists  and  by  the  Anti-Chinese  clubs  of  California, 
24 


3/0  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

about  the  importance  of  the  repeal  or  modifica 
tion  of  the  Burlingame  treaty  with  China,  in  order 
to  check  the  immigration  of  the  Chinese  to  this 
country. 

Strangely  enough,  it  seems  to  be  the  pre 
vailing  opinion  that  without  special  treaty  stip 
ulations,  providing  for  their  coming  and  for 
their  protection  while  here,  the  Chinese  would 
have  no  right  to  come  to  this  country  to  live; 
and  if  they  should  come  without  such  treaty 
stipulations  they  would  have  no  right,  under  the 
Constitution,  to  claim  for  their  lives  and  property 
the  equal  protection  of  our  laws,  or,  in  other 
words,  "no  rights  which  white  men  would  be 
bound  to  respect."  Such  an  idea  is  a  monstrous 
libel  upon  the  principles,  the  policy,  and  usages 
of  this  nation.  That  such  opinions  should  pre 
vail  among  the  Chinese  themselves  is  quite  nat 
ural;  for,  according  to  long-established  laws  and 
customs  in  China,  without  special  treaty  provis 
ions  the  people  of  other  countries  may  not  enter 
China,  and,  if  entering  without  such  treaty  per 
mission,  they  may  not  claim  for  their  lives  and 
property  the  protection  of  the  Chinese  Govern 
ment. 

But  the  laws,  the  policy,  and  the  Constitution 
of  these  United  States  are  upon  a  different  basis 
altogether.  (For  one  hundred  years,  from  the 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  3/1 

beginning  until  now,  the  doors  of  this  country, 
on  the  east  and  on  the  west,  on  the  north  and 
on  the  south,  have  been  opened  alike  to  all 
comers,  from  all  lands,  without  any  distinction 
of  race,  color,  language,  or  previous  condition  in 
life.  No  treaty  is  required  with  any  foreign 
government  in  order  that  its  subjects  may  have 
the  right  to  come  to  this  country  to  live.  That 
matter,  so  far  as  our  Government  is  concerned, 
is  left  entirely  to  the  voluntary  choice  of  the  in 
dividual.  No  passport  is  demanded  at  American 
ports  of  the  foreigner  who  comes  to  travel  over 
this  broad  land;  none  from  the  immigrant  who 
comes  to  make  his  home  in  this  New  World. 

Modify  or  abrogate  and  repeal  the  Burlingame 
treaty  as  we  please, [the  Chinese  would  still  have 

just  the  same  right  to  come  here,   to  live  here, 

•-•-.-. 
and  to    claim    for   their   lives   and   property  the 

protection  of  our  laws  while  here,  that  the  Ger- 

'     ~™  \J    Q       (f*" 

mans  or  French  or  Irish  or  the  people  of  any 
other  nation  haye^.  The  Burlingame  treaty  was 
dictated,  as  all  our  treaties  with  China  have  been 
dictated  by  our  Government,  for  our  benefit,  not 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Chinese.  In  giving  a  tardy 
consent  to  the  terms  of  these  treaties,  the  Chi 
nese  have  been  obliged  to  depart  from  their 
settled  policy,  to  violate  long -cherished  princi 
ples,  and  to  overthrow  established  customs.  But 


3/2  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

the  terms  of  these  treaties,  requiring-  such  con 
cessions  on  the  part  of  the  Chinese  Government, 
require  no  concessions  whatever  on  the  part  of 
our  Government.  Our  treaties  secure  for  Amer 
icans  in  China  rights  and  privileges  which  they 
could  not  claim  without  such  treaty  stipulations; 
but  these  treaties  secure  to  the  Chinese  in 
America  no  single  right  or  privilege  which  they 
could  not  claim  under  our  Constitution  without 
the  existence  of  any  treaty  whatever.  It  is  very 
plain,  then,  that  the  repeal  of  the  Burlingame 
treaty  will  not  prevent  Chinese  immigration, 
because  that  treaty  did  not  give  them  the  right 
to  come.  It  simply  recognized  their  natural  and 
inalienable  right  to  come  if  they  so  desired,  and 
it  made  a  few  regulations  respecting  the  details 
of  their  coming.  It  says: 

"  ARTICLE  V.  The  United  States  of  America 
and  the  Emperor  of  China  cordially  recognize  the 
inherent  and  inalienable  rights  of  man  to  change 
his  home  and  allegiance,  and  also  the  mutual 
advantage  of  free  migration  and  emigration  of 
their  citizens  and  subjects  respectively,  from  one 
country  to  the  other,  for  purposes  of  curiosity, 
of  trade,  or  as  permanent  residents." 

From  this  it  is  plainly  evident  that  the  right 
of  the  Chinese  to  immigrate  to  this  country  is 
not  found  in  the  stipulations  of  the  Burlingame 


MATERIAL  FACTS.  373 

treaty,  but  that  right  is  found  in  the  fundamental 
principles  of  our  Government,  which  are  enun 
ciated  in  that  treaty  as  the  basis  of  its  stipula 
tions;  principles  new  to  the  Chinese,  but  with 
us  as  old  as  our  national  existence.  TqJnwMbit 
the  Chinese  from  coming  to  this  country  requires  not 
so  much  a  modification  of  treaties  as  it  requires  a 
marked  departure  from  the  broad  principles  upon 
which  our  Government  is  established,  and  which 
have  been  our  boast  and  glory  for  a  hundred  years. 

Is  the  cause  sufficient  to  require  such  a  sacri 
fice?  Is  the  Government  ready  to  make  the 
departure?  Can  not  our  Government  regulate 
her  own  ships  and  ports,  rather  than  trample 
under  foot  eternal  principles? 

If,  as  a  sanitary  measure,  no  vessel  from  a 
foreign  port  should  be  permitted  at  a  single 
entry  to  land  more  than  two  hundred  passengers 
upon  our  shores  the  case  would  be  fully  met, 
threatening  dangers  from  beyond  either  sea 
would  be  in  a  measure  averted,  and  American- 
born  people  would  have  a  little  better  opportu 
nity  than  they  now  enjoy  to  manage  their  own 
affairs  and  preserve  and  regulate  their  own  cher 
ished  institutions. 


374  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE    CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE. 

UNEXPECTED  delays  in  printing  the  fore 
going  chapters  of  this  little  volume  have 
furnished  me  the  opportunity  of  presenting  to 
the  general  public  some  account  of  the  Congres 
sional  Joint  Commission  of  Investigation  on  the 
subject  of  Chinese  immigration,  which  held  its 
sessions  in  San  Francisco  commencing  October 
20,  1876,  and  adjourned  November  I9th.  The 
Commission  consisted  of  Senators  Morton,  of  In 
diana;  Sargent,  of  California;  and  Cooper,  of 
Tennessee ;  together  with  Representatives  Meade, 
of  New  York;  Piper,  of  California;  and  Wilson, 
of  Iowa;  of  whom  the  last  named  gentleman  did 
not  take  his  seat  on  the  Commission.  Their  re 
port  will  be  presented  at  the  ensuing  session  of 
Congress,  but  not  in  time  to  make  any  notice  of 
it  in  this  volume. 

It  was  arranged  to  have  the  investigation  pro 
ceed  something  after  the  form  of  a  court  trial; 
the  Anti-Chinese  party  acting  as  the  prosecu- 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  375 

tion,  the  Chinese  being  the  defendants.  State 
Senator  M'Coppin,  Frank  M.  Pixley,  and  a  cer 
tain  Cameron  H.  King,  were  recognized  as  the 
lawyers  for  the  prosecution.  Colonel  F.  A.  Bee 
and  B.  S.  Brooks  were  recognized  as  the  attor 
neys  for  the  defense. 

Mr.  Pixley  made  an  early  but  unsuccessful 
effort  to  have*  the  one-sided  report  of  the  State 
Senate  Committee  indorsed  as  a  part  of  the  pro 
ceeding  of  this  Congressional  Committee. 

The  attorneys  on  both  sides  were  allowed  an 
hour  each  in  which  to  state  their  cause  and  to 
indicate  the  points  which  they  proposed  to  main 
tain  and  prove. 

Mr.  M'Coppin  opened  the  ball,  stating  that 
"the  population  of  China  exceeded  four  hundred 
millions,  or  more  than  one-third  of  the  world's 
population,  and  more  than  two  hundred  and 
sixty-eight  persons  to  the  square  mile.  It  is  true 
that  so  far  at  we  are  informed  the  Chinese  Gov 
ernment  does  not  encourage  the  emigration  of 
its  people,  but  the  pressure  from  within  that 
crowded  hive  is  so  great  that  they  have  to  seek 
an  outlet  in  foreign  lands,  and  this  coast  being 
the  most  accessible  to  them  is  in  danger  of 
being  overrun  by  this  pagan  horde,  unless  their 
coming  be  checked  by  legislation  and  a  modifi 
cation  of  existing  treaties.  Because  of  a  want 


3/6  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

of  that  homogeneity  which  is  an  attribute  of  the 
European,  the  Chinaman,  under  all  circumstances 
and  changes,  retains  his  distinctive  national  traits, 
and  when  abroad  lives  in  the  hope  of  securing 
a  competence  and  returning  to  the  land  of  Con 
fucius.  Indeed,  so  strong  is  his  attachment  to 
that  land  he  will  only  quit  it  with  the  under 
standing  that  in  case  of  death  his  ashes  shall  be 
sent  back  for  sepulture.  So  that  the  Chinaman, 
though  in  this  country,  is  not  of  it;  and  in  this 
fact,  it  seems  to  me,  lies  one  of  the  strongest 
and  most  insuperable  objections  to  their  coming 
here  at  all." 

Mr.  Pixley  followed  in  a  long,  hour  and  a  half 
statement  of  charges  against  the  Chinese,  such 
as,  they  live  cheaply,  they  are  industrious,  they 
are  not  subject  to  be  drafted  as  jurymen  or  sol 
diers,  they  do  not  attend  our  schools,  they  do 
not  pay  taxes,  they  are  filthy,  they  gamble,  they 
take  no  interest  in  our  politics,  etc.  He  neg 
lected  to  state  that  the  reason  why  the  China 
man  is  not  subject  to  be  drafted  to  perform  the 
duty  of  juryman  or  soldier  is  simply  because 
we  do  not  endow  him  with  the  dignity  and  priv 
ileges  of  citizenship.  He  neglected  also  to 
state  that  the  reason  why  the  Chinese  do  not 
attend  our  public-schools  is  because  our  School 
Boards  refuse  them  admission.  He  did  state,  how- 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  377 

ever,  that  one  of  the  principal  dangers  to  our  white 
laboring  population  is  because  the  Chinamen  labor  so 
well,  that  they  are  anxious  to  learn  trades,  and  they 
are  quick  to  acquire  knowledge.  On  the  religious 
question,  Mr.  Pixley  boldly  stated  the  view 
maintained  by  the  prosecution  generally,  when 
he  said  that  he  could  not  speak  of  the  matter  of 
Christianizing  the  Chinamen  with  the  gravity 
which  the  circumstances  and  surroundings  de 
manded.  For  his  part  he  did  not  believe  that 
Chinamen  had  souls,  or,  if  any,  none  worth  sav 
ing.  Afterward,  in  examining  witnesses  hostile 
to  the  Chinese,  Mr.  Pixley  found  several  who  en 
tertained  views  on  this  subject  similar  to  his  own. 
For  instance,  a  Captain  King,  some  time  in  the 
China  Coast  trade,  testified  that  nearly  all  the  Chi 
nese  professing  to  be  Christians  are  hypocrites; 
that  the  missionaries  in  China  had  informed  him 
that  nearly  all  Chinese  converts  to  Christianity 
very  soon  relapsed  into  idolatry.  To  Mr.  Bad- 
lam,  assessor  of  the  city  and  county  of  San 
Francisco,  Mr.  Pixley  put  this  question: 

"How  many  of  these  precious  Chinese  souls 
do  you  think  the  missionaries  have  snatched  from 
the  everlasting  burnings?" 

Mr.  Badlam,  under  oath,  tipping  back  his  chair, 
and  giving  a  heavy  puff  from  his  cigar,  answered: 

"Well,    you    have    got   me    now.      I   am    no 


378  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Gospel  sharp.  You  must  ask  Brother  Gibson. 
He  has  them  all  on  his  fingers'  ends.  For  myself, 
I  do  n't  believe  there  ever  was  such  a  thing  as  a 
Christian  Chinaman.  I  never  saw  one." 

The  first  five  or  six  days  of  the  investigation 
were  occupied  by  the  witnesses  of  the  prosecu 
tion,  testifying  that  the  Chinese  in  America  are 
slaves  or  peons,  or  servile  laborers,  that  their 
presence  degrades  the  dignity  of  labor,  that  they 
are  supplanting  white  labor  and  driving  it  from 
the  State,  that  their  presence  here  prevents  white 
immigrants  from  coming,  and  that  unless  this 
Chinese  immigration  is  checked,  nothing  but  ruin 
is  before  us.  It  came  out,  however,  in  cross- 
questioning  these  same  witnesses  that  the  scale 
of  wages  paid  to  white  labor  in  California  is  gen 
erally  higher  than  is  paid  for  the  same  labor  in 
the  Eastern  States.  These  Anti-Chinese  wit 
nesses  also  testified  that  the  Shoemakers  Co 
operative  Union,  in  spite  of  Chinese  competition, 
is  making  twenty-four  per  cent  per  annum  on  the 
capital  invested. 

During  the  week  of  the  election  the  Commis 
sion  took  a  recess.  On  coming  together  again 
after  election  there  was  a  marked  absence  of  a 
large  number  of  the  leaders  of  the  Anti-Chinese 
party,  who,  before  the  election,  had  been  in 
tensely  interested  against  the  Chinaman. 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  379 

On  this  feature  of  the  case,  Mr.  Sargent  is  re 
ported  to  have  remarked: 

"There  was  a  parade  on  the  first  day  of  offi 
cials  and  State  Senators,  of  spokesmen  for  local 
organizations,  etc.  These  gentlemen  dropped 
off  gradually,  until  after  election  not  one  was  to 
be  seen,  and  it  was  a  matter  of  unfavorable  re 
mark,  especially  as  one  main  end  of  the  pro-Chi 
nese  was  to  show  that  the  opposition  to  the  Chi 
nese  was  mere  political  rivalry  and  agitation.  I 
think  the  Mayor  and  Senator  M'Coppin  and  Mr. 
King  should  not  have  appeared  at  all,  or  have 
seen  the  thing  through." 

Very  able  and  exhaustive  arguments  in  de 
fense  of  the  Chinese  were  made,  both  by  Colonel 
Bee  and  Mr.  Brooks,  giving  a  history  of  the  Chi 
nese  immigration  to  this  country,  its  utility,  and 
necessity,  and  the  treatment  it  has  received  from 
our  people.  A  striking  contrast  was  observable 
in  the  general  character  of  the  witnesses  for  the 
defense  as  compared  with  the  witnesses  for  the 
prosecution.  Men  of  brains,  men  of  push  and 
enterprise,  men  devoted  to  the  development  of 
the  industries  and  prosperity  of  the  Pacific  Coast, 
men  whom  Dr.  Briggs  calls  "the  real  rulers  of 
the  land,"  men  of  the  highest  moral  standing  in 
the  community,  men  who  had  never  before  been 
heard  from  on  this  question, — not  a  few, — but 


380  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

hundreds,  stood  ready  to  testify  to  the  benefit 
received  by  the  State  from  the  presence  and 
labor  of  the  Chinese,  and  to  testify  to  the  Chi 
naman's  general  good  character  for  industry, 
frugality  and  obedience  to  law.  Manufacturers 
testified  that  without  the  competition  of  Chinese 
labor  they  could  not  run  their  factories  a  single 
day,  but  with  Chinese  labor  to  make  their  busi 
ness  possible,  they  \\rere  enabled  to  give  employ 
ment  to  a  large  number  of  white  laborers. 

It  is  a  matter  of  regret  to  his  former  friends 
that  during  the  whole  of  the  investigation,  one  of 
the  Commissioners,  the  Senator  from  California, 
manifested  very  strong  partisan  feelings,  and  con 
ducted  himself  not  so  much  as  a  dignified  Sena 
tor  investigating  grave  national  questions,  as  an 
attorney  for  the  prosecution.  With  him  the 
prosecution  was  "we,"  and  the  Anti-Chinese 
witnesses  were  "our  witnesses."  He  even  out 
stripped  Mr.  Pixley  himself  in  efforts  to  browbeat, 
badger,  and  insult  witnesses,  quite  his  equal  in 
culture  and  character,  simply  because  their  testi 
mony  did  not  establish  his  views.  The  real  char 
acter  of  the  Anti-Chinese  party  was  publicly 
manifested  by  its  own  members  on  the  evening 
of  November  I5th,  while  the  Commission  of  in 
vestigation  was  still  holding  daily  sessions.  A 
grand  mass-meeting  was  called  on  that  evening, 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  381 

in  order  to  make  a  demonstration  of  the  popular 
sentiment  against  the  Chinese. 

The  following  account  of  the  meeting,  as  given 
by  the  San  Francisco  Morning  Chronicle,  Novem 
ber  1 6,  1876,  speaks  for  itself: 

ANTI-COOLIE  MASS-MEETING. 

"THE     PROCESSION — THE     ATTENDANCE    AT     THE     PAVIL 
ION — ETC. 

"The  Anti-Coolieites  held  a  mass-meeting  at  the  Me 
chanics'  Pavilion  last  evening.  The  various  clubs  formed 
in  line  on  Third  Street,  and  marched  to  the  Pavilion  via 
Market,  Sixth,  and  Mission  Streets.  Some  very  peculiar 
transparencies  were  borne  aloft  in  the  procession,  one  of 
them  representing  a  hideous  Mongolian  countenance  sur 
mounting  the  strange  device,  "Hence,  horrible  shadow!" 
A  big  club  couchant  completed  the  banner.  Another 
transparency  demanded  the  immediate  abrogation  of  ihe 
Burlingame  treaty,  and  denounced  the  witnesses  before 
the  Chinese  Commission.  Another  exhibited  a  skull.  The 
Ninth  Ward  Club  carried  a  gallows,  from  which  an  ejjlgy 
of  Rev.  Otis  Gibson  gracefully  dangled,  and  when  the 
main  body  of  the  procession  had  filed  into  the  hall  the 
Rev.  Gibson  was  ruthlessly  burned  at  the  stake  by  the  de 
monstrative  crowd. 

"AT  THE  PAVILION. 

"  By  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  crowd  began 
to  assemble  at  the  Pavilion,  and  the  hall  was  soon  after 
full.  The  management  had  made  no  preparation  for  re 
serving  seats  for  the  men  marching  in  the  procession,  and 
in  consequence,  when  they  arrived,  they  were  obliged  to 
get  in  as  best  they  could.  Several  hundred  organized  a 
meeting  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  Pavilion,  impro- 


382  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

vised  a  platform,  and  listened  to  several  speakers.  About 
one  hundred  and  fifty  ladies,  members  of  the  Working- 
women's  Club,  had  been  invited,  but  upon  arriving  were 
obliged  to  return  home,  no  place  having  been  provided 
for  them.  The  Industrial  School  Band  opened  the  meet 
ing  with  a  national  air,  and  shortly  afterward  P.  A.  Roach, 
Grand  Marshal  of  the  procession,  introduced 

MAYOR    BRYANT 

with  a  few  remarks.  The  Mayor  endeavored  to  speak, 
but  the  noise  was  incessant,  and  he  could  scarcely  be 
heard.  He  said  the  large  assemblage  was  an  evidence 
that  the  people  of  the  State  irrespective  of  party  were 
united  in  opposing  the"  importation  of  Chinese.  He  fore 
shadowed,  in  a  few  hopeful  words,  the  verdict  of  the  Con 
gressional  Commission  and  the  effect  it  would  have  on 
Congress,  trusting  that  it  would  take  some  action  for  the 
relief  of  the  people. 

"  HORACE     DAVIS. 

"  Horace  Davis,  the  recently  elected  member  of 
Congress  from  the  San  Francisco  District,  spoke  for  about 
fifteen  minutes.  He  said  the  assembling  of  so  many  peo 
ple  was  incontrovertible  evidence  that  the  people  took  an 
interest  in  the  matter  of  Chinese  immigration,  and  that 
they  were  sincere  in  desiring  a  restriction  of  the  influx. 
He  made  a  brief  reference  to  the  rebellion,  which  was 
owing  to  the  introolution  of  an  element  foreign  to  the  de 
sires  of  the  people,  and  believed  that  if  the  Chinese  were 
allowed  to  come  here  in  the  future  it  would  lead  to  sm 
other  fratricidal  war.  The  gentleman's  remarks  could 
hardly  be  heard,  and  Mayor  Bryant  was  finally  compelled 
to  appeal  for  order.  Messrs.  Philip  A.  Roach,  Thomas 
P.  Ryan,  Supervisor  Edwards,  Luman  P.  Hoag,  and  R. 
J.  Hinton  also  addressed  the  meeting. 

"  J.  J.  Tobin  closed  the  list  of  speakers.     He  held  in 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  383 

his  hand  a  pamphlet  issued  by  Messrs.  Brooks  and  Bee, 
the  counsel  for  the  Chinese  before  the  Congressional 
Commission,  which  he  read  and  severely  criticised.  He 
entered  into  a  long  eulogy  of  the  Irish  race,  and  denied 
that  the  Chinese  injured  them  in  any  particular,  fre 
quently  sandwiching  in  attacks  upon  the  witnesses  who 
had  testified  before  the  Congressional  Commission." 

The    account    of  the   affair  as  given   by  the 
Morning  Call,  contained  the  following : 

"The  Tailors'  Protective  Union  followed,  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  strong,  and  then  came  the  Ninth  Ward 
Club,  the  largest  body  of  men  in  the  procession,  and 
carrying  the  featitre  of  the  evening,  which  consisted  of 
a  scaffold  about  eight  feet  high,  from  the  cross-tree  of 
iv hie h  dangled  an  effigy  of  the  Reverend  Otis  Gibson, 
dressed  in  a  plain  black  suit,  and  with  beard  around  the 
face  in  the  same  shape  and  style' that  his  reverence  wears 
it.  The  crowds  on  the  streets  were  much  amused  at  this. 
although  many  could  not  read  the  name  painted  on  the 
card  that  was  attached  to  his  back,  owing  tv  the  absence 
of  torchlights.  The  Fourth  Ward  Club  formed  the  ex 
treme  left,  and  also  turned  out  a  goodly  number  of  Anti- 
Coolieites.  In  a  barouche,  drawn  by  four  white  horses, 
rode  three  leading  members  of  the  Anti-Chinese  move 
ment.  A  pretty  accurate  estimate  of  the  number  of  men 
in  the  procession,  shows  that  there  were  about  two  thou 
sand  in  line. 

"  The  Pavilion  was  filled  by  a  vast  crowd  before  the 
advance  guard  of  the  procession  filed  into  it,  and  as  the 
two  thousand  men  who  marched  in  line  brought  with 
them  a  great  many  camp-followers  that  part  of  the  build 
ing  partitioned  off  for  public  meetings  was  inadequate 
to  accommodate  all  who  sought  admission.  There  were 
at  least  six  thousand  persons  in  the  hall,  and  as  many 


384  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

more  went  away  from  the  doors  or  lingered  in  groups 
around  such  stump  speakers  as  cared  to  address  them. 
Several  of  the  devices  carried  in  the  procession  were 
brought  into  the  meeting,  and  particular  notice  was  taken 
of  the  Gibson  effigy.  Derisive  cheering  and  much  hearty 
laughter  greeted  the  dangling  figure.  There  was  a  gen 
eral  hand-shaking  of  the  antipodes  in  politics,  the  cam 
paign  having  been  fought  and  won  by  both  sides  thus  far, 
the  audience,  principally  composed  of  working  men  and 
working  boys,  had  a  striking  unanimity  of  sentiment,  and 
cheered  with  a  like  enthusiasm  the  speakers  who  have 
talked  themselves  hoarse  for  Hayes,  and  those  who  have 
been  seized  with  a  bad  cold  for  Tilden.  Mayor  Bryant 
was  the  President  of  the  meeting." 

The  Daily  Evening  Post,  the  very  next  day 
after  the  outrage,  inserted  without  rebuke  a 
letter  signed  T.  H.,  containing  the  following 
language : 

"  Shame  upon  any  Christian  minister  or  a  millionaire 
who,  for  the  sake  of  money  and  power,  helps  to  bring  our 
people  down  upon  a  pnr  with  the  coolie.  If  the  respect 
able  Christian  (?)  nobility  on  this  coast  want  communism 
established  and  civil  war  inaugurated  throughout  this 
magnificent  country,  where  there  is  plenty  for  all  if  prop 
erly  distributed;  if  Christian  ministers  can  be  hired  for 
such  base  purposes,  let  them  beware  lest  the  shadow 
which  went  through  the  streets  on  Wednesday  evening 
may  not  become  a  dreadful  reality.  You  may  pen  up 
Chinamen  like  swine,  but  you  can  not  make  slaves  of 
white  men. 

When  a  witness  before  the  Commission  re 
ferred  to  this  outrage  and  to  the  threatening 
letter  in  the  Post,  as  indicating  the  character  of 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  385 

the  Anti-Chinese  party,  Mr.  Sargent  seemed  to 
condone  the  outrage,  comparing  the  performance 
to  the  burning  of  the  Pope's  Bull  by  Martin 
Luther,  and  to  the  burning  in  effigy  of  noted 
Tories  by  our  Revolutionary  fathers.  He  also 
excused  the  Post  for  publishing  the  threatening 
letter,  because  the  paper  stated  in  a  head-note 
that  "the  editor  is  not  responsible  for  the  opin 
ions  expressed  by  correspondents." 

Two  days  after  the  disgraceful  scenes  of  that 
mass-meeting,  an  affair  occurred  in  the  Commit 
tee  rooms,  during  the  noon  recess,  which  further 
illustrated  the  spirit  and  character  of  the  Anti- 
Chinese  party  in  California,  as  well  as  the  char 
acter  of  the  legal  talent  employed  by  the  pros 
ecution.  The  Rev.  W.  W.  Brier,  a  Presbyterian 
clergyman,  had  given  testimony  quite  favorable 
to  the  Chinese,  and  of  course  quite  distasteful  to 
Mi4.  Pixley,  who  represented  the  Anti-Chinese 
party  before  the  Commission.  During  the  recess 
Mr.  Brier  and  Mr.  Pixley  became  engaged  in 
quite  a  warm  argument  on  the  Chinese  Ques 
tion,  in  which  Mr.  Brier  called  the  Anti-Chinese 
mass-meeting  a  mob,  and  Mr.  Pixley  stated  that 
all  the  witnesses  whose  testimony  was  favorable 
to  the  Chinese  were  persons  who  were  making 
money  out  of  the  Chinese,  and  that  Messrs. 
Gibson,  Shearer,  and  Brier  would  never  preach 

25 


386  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

a  word  unless  they  were  paid  for  it.  To  this 
wholesale  charge  Mr.  Brier  replied,  "That  is  a 
lie."  Whereupon  Mr.  Pixley  seized  Mr.  Brier 
by  the  beard  and  shook  him,  saying,  "If  you 
do  n't  take  that  back  I  '11  strike  you;"  and  im 
mediately  struck  Mr.  Brier  a  severe  blow  in  the 
face.  Mr.  Brier,  though  a  much  larger  and 
stronger  man  than  Pixley,  maintained  the  dignity 
and  character  of  his  profession,  refusing  to  return 
the  cowardly  blows. 

The  fact  that  these  outrages  have  taken  place, 
and  have  been  widely  chronicled  by  the  daily 
press  without  one  word  of  condemnation,  is  a 
burning  shame  and  a  deep  disgrace  to  the  fair 
name  of  California.  Her  intelligent,  law-abiding 
citizens  should  not  soon  forget  the  leading  spirits 
of  an  agitation  which  has  produced  such  un 
wholesome  fruit. 

The  California  Advocate  (Methodist),  Novem 
ber  23d,  contained  the  following : 

"At  the  anti-coolie  meeting  in  the  Mechanics'  Hall 
last  week,  at  which  Mayor  Bryant  presided,  there  were 
mottoes  and  transparencies  intended  to  insult  and  bur 
lesque  ministers  of  the  Gospel  of  unblemished  lives  and 
reputation.  Rev.  O.  Gibson  was  hung  in  effigy,  and  the 
mob  gave  shouts  of  joy.  The  Mayor,  with  beaming  face, 
smiled  upon  such  lawless  and  outrageous  conduct,  for 
which  the  entire  city  must  suffer  humiliation  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  whole  country.  The  offi 
cers  of  that  meeting,  so  far  as  we  can  judge  by  the  news- 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  387 

papers,   gave    no   word  of   disapproval.      We  are  left  to 
infer  that  they  heartily  sanctioned  the  outrage. 

"The  papers,  three  or  four  of  them,  reported  the 
facts,  but  uttered  no  word  of  condemnation.  As  conser 
vators  of  public  morals,  it  was  surely  their  duty  to 
denounce  such  acts  in  terms  which  could  not  be  misun 
derstood.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  papers,  thus 
far,  have  aided  and  abetted  these  unprovoked  assaults 
upon  the  men  who,  not  of  choice,  appeared  before  the 
Commission  to  answer  questions  in  the  fear  of  God  who 
in  the  olden  time  struck  dead  the  perjurer.  They  did 
their  duty  calmly,  consistently,  and  fearlessly.  •  The 
press,  if  not  given  over  to  obey  the  behests  of  dema 
gogues  and  hoodlums,  should  extend  to  them  sheer  jus 
tice.  It  should  promptly  rebuke  every  tendency  to  assail, 
browbeat,  and  thrust  at  men  who  have  committed  no 
offense  against  society.  A  covert  threat  of  violence  was 
made  in  the  columns  of  the  Post,  and  yet  that  sheet  had 
not  the  manliness  or  courage  to  utter  a  sentence  of  dis 
approval.  We  are  forced  to  conclude  that  the  press  of 
this  city  to-day  is  largely  responsible  for  the  hoodlums 
with  which  society  is  so  fearfully  cursed.  An  honest,  out 
spoken,  and  manly  rebuke  of  wrong-doing  would  correct 
much — perhaps  most — of  the  vicious  conduct  which  is  so 
prevalent,  and  which  seems  to  be  on  the  increase.  But 
the  anti-coolie  meetings,  with  their  transparencies  and 
threats,  are  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  riots  with  which 
New  York  and  other  large  cities  have  been  so  fearfully 
cursed.  With  the  Mayor,  police,  and  press  to  encourage 
such  conduct,  our  future  is  fearful!" 

Inasmuch  as  the  writer's  testimony  before  the 
Congressional  Commission  was  the  sole  cause  for 
the  committal  of  that  dastardly  outrage  upon  his 
name  by  the  Anti-Chinese  party,  that  testimony 


388  THE  CHINESE    IN  AMERICA. 

is  here  given  in  full  that  the  readers  may  judge 
for  themselves  of  the  character  of  that  element 
of  the  city  which  committed  such  an  outrage, 
and  also  whether  the  public  press  is  justified  in 
neglecting  to  utter  a  word  in  condemnation  of  the 
riotous  conduct : 

REV.  O.  GIBSON'S    TESTIMONY    BEFORE   THE    CHI 
NESE  COMMISSION. 

I  wish  to  state  that  I  am  not  in  favor  of  a  large  and 
rapid  influx  of  immigration  from  any  foreign  country 
whatever.  I  believe  at  times  the  immigration  both  from 
Europe  and  Asia  lias  been  stimulated  to  an  unhealthy 
degree,  that  is,  it  has  been  too  rapid  for  the  best  good  of 
the  country.  I  believe  that  European-  immigrants  are 
admitted  to  full  citizenship  too  soon  after  coming  here. 
I  believe  that  a  large  portion  of  the  European  immigra 
tion,  so  rapidly  admitted  to  citizenship  and  the  right  of 
suffrage,  is  more  dangerous  to  the  institutions  and  pros 
perity  of  this  country  than  the  smaller  and  better  regu 
lated  immigration  from  Asia.  As  to  the  objection  against 
the  Chinese  that  they  depreciate  the  value  of  real  estate, 
it  is  well  known  in  this  city,  and  on  this  coast,  that  the 
Chinese  every-where  pay  high  rents  and  pay  promptly. 
An  increase  in  any  city  of  a  population  paying  high  rents 
must  of  necessity  increase  the  demand  for,  and  price  of, 
real  estate.  The  Chinese  of  this  city  pay  more  than  one 
million  dollars  annually  in  rents  alone,  and  the  white  peo 
ple  continue  to  inhabit  houses  quite  as  good,  if  not  bet 
ter  than  before  they  sold  or  rented  to  Chinamen. 

As  to  Chinese  cheap  labor, 'the  fact  is,  and  all  testi 
mony  goes  to  show  it,  that  in  California  we  have  no  cheap 
labor  as  compared  with  the  East.  The  presence  of  the 
Chinese  has  reduced  the  exorbitant  price  of  labor  which 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  389 

prevailed  in  the  early  days  of  our  history,  and  by  this 
means  they  have  opened  industries,  cheapened  products, 
and  made  it  possible  for  poor  white  men  lo  come  here 
with  their  families  and  live  and  thrive.  It  is  an  indisput 
able  fact,  that  in  spile  of  a  peculiar  cry  about  the  evils  of 
Chinese  labor,  labor  for  industrious  white  men  is  as 
abundant,  if  not  more  so,  wages  as  high,  if  not  higher, 
living  as  cheap,  if  not  cheaper,  and  the  general  condition 
of  the  white  laboring  classes  is  as  good,  if  not  better, 
than  in  any  other  part  of  these  United  States,  or  of  this 
world.  Instance  Chicago,  Cincinnati,  and  New  York.  In 
one  of  those  cities  lately  some  thirty  thousand  men  waited 
upon  the  mayor  of  the  city  bearing  transparencies  with  the 
motto,  "Bread  or  Blood,"  and  demanded  work.  Cheap 
labor  makes  cheap  products,  cheap  living.  With  flour  at 
fifty  dollars  a  barrel  and  wages  ten  dollars  a  day,  five 
clays'  work  will  buy  a  barrel.  When  flour  is  six  dollars 
a  barrel  and  wages  two  dollars  a  day,  three  days'  work  will 
buy  a  barrel. 

This  labor  conflict  in  California,  as  a  general  question, 
is  simply  and  only  a  much  needed  and  healthly  competi 
tion  between  the  Chinaman  and  the  Irishman.  The  Irish 
man  has  a  vote,  and  so  some  aspiring  politicians  are  on 
his  side ;  but  all  the  industries  of  the  State,  all  the  cap 
ital  of  the  State  looking  for  investment  in  industrial  pur 
suits,  demands  this  competition  of  labor  as  an  indispen 
sable  element  of  investment,  development  and  success. 
This  competition,  however,  in  this  city,  is  limited  to  a 
few  of  the  lighter  and  lower  industries.  The  Chinamen 
make  overalls  and  slippers  and  shoes  and  cigars  and 
shirts,  but  no  overalls  for  the  trade  were  made  in  this 
country  until  the  Chinamen  made  them.  The  Chinamen 
do  not  labor  upon  the  public  works  of  the  city,  the  grad 
ing,  paving,  and  repairing  of  the  streets,  nor  upon  any  of 
the  public  buildings  of  the  State.  There  are  no  Chinese 
house-carpenters,  nor  brick-layers,  nor  painters,  nor  gla- 


390  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

ziers,  nor  plumbers,  nor  blacksmiths,  nor  foundrymen. 
No  Chinese  printers,  nor  book-binders,  nor  tailors  (of 
American  clothing),  nor  milliners,  nor  mantau-makers; 
no  bankers  nor  insurance  agents  ;  no  commission  mer 
chants  of  European  goods.  They  offer  no  competition 
to  our  lawyers,  doctors,  preachers,  school-teachers,  nor  to 
any  profession  whatever. 

Instead  of  driving  any  of  these  mentioned  laborers  or 
professions  from  the  field,  the  presence  and  labor  of  the 
Chinese  have  opened  up  industries  which  have  certainly 
stimulated  the  demand  for  such  white  laborers  and  pro 
fessional  men.  As  to  the  charge  that  the  Chinese  have 
taken  employment  from  our  women  and  girls,  there  may 
be  single  instances  of  that  kind,  but  as  a  general  charge 
it  is  not  true.  House-servants,  sewing-women  and  laun 
dry  work  are  as  well  paid  in  San  Francisco  as  New  York. 
I  have  had  an  experience  in  the  house-work  line  like  this: 
My  wife  dismissed  a  China  boy,  and  engaged  a  girl  lately 
from  the  East.  In  the  East  the  girl  had  worked  for  two 
dollars  a  week  at  general  house  and  dairy  work,  milking 
cows,  etc.,  both  Summer  and  Winter.  My  wife  engaged 
to  give  the  girl  plenty  of  time  to  make  and  mend  her 
own  clothing,  a  place  at  the  table  with  the  family,  and 
general  treatment  like  a  member  of  the  family,  and  six 
teen  dollars  a  month  wages.  The  girl  stayed  about  one  year 
and  then  left  because  she  thought  she  could  do  better  as 
a  sewing  girl.  It  is  objected  to  the  Chinese  population 
that  they  do  not  learn  our  language,  do  not  attend  our 
schools.  The  fact  is,  they  are  taxed  to  support  our  schools, 
but  are  positively  refused  admission  to  their  privileges. 
I  myself  applied  to  the  school  department  of  this  city  in 
behalf  of  an  intelligent  Chinaman  who  wished  to  be  ad 
mitted,  but  the  application  was  refused  on  account  of  race 
prejudice. 

There  are  many  young  children  in  Chinatown  of  this 
city,  but  neither  the  State  nor  the  city  is  providing  any 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  391 

schools  for  their  education.  But  many  of  the  Chinese 
are  learning  our  language.  There  are  about  seven  hun 
dred  and  fifty  average  attendance  upon  the  various  even 
ing  mission  schools  and  private  classes  in  the  State,  in 
volving  a  roll-call  of  about  two  thousand  five  hundred; 
about  one  thousand  average  attendance  upon  the  various 
Sabbath-schools,  involving  a  roll-call  of  about  three  thou 
sand.  This,  too,  in  a  population  composed  mostly  of 
adults — industrious,  working  young  men.  Thousands  are 
also  learning  our  language  in  the  families  in  which  they 
serve.  It  may  be  safely  said,  that  we  have  no  other  for 
eign  immigration  that  with  so  little  encouragement  makes 
equal  efforts  to  learn  our  language,  laws,  and  customs.  Go 
into  almost  any  Chinese  store  in  this  city,  and  we  are  sure 
to  find  one  or  two  persons  who  can  converse  in  the  English 
language  sufficiently  to  transact  business  with  our  people. 
When  we  take  into  consideration  the  circumstances  which 
have  surrounded  them  in  this  country,  and  the  short  time 
the  Chinese  have  been  here,  the  wonder  is,  not  that 
they  know  so  little,  but  that  they  know  so  much  of  our 
language. 

A  young  man,  son  of  a  Chinese  merchant,  has  just 
been  admitted  to  Napa  Collegiate  Institute,  in  this  State, 
and  is  doing  well.  Of  his  own  choice,  and  with  the  full 
consent  of  his  father,  the  young  man  cut  off  his  cue  and 
adopted  the  full  American  dress.  He  is  doing  well  in  his 
studies,  and  has  the  respect  and  good  will  of  his  teachers 
and  fellow-students.  There  are  hundreds  of  other  young 
men  anxious  to  do  this  same  thing,  but  want  of  money 
prevents  their  doing  so.  Very  great  changes  in  this  re 
spect  are  taking  place  among  the  young  Chinamen  in 
this  country. 

If  the  right  of  citizenship  and  the  elective  franchise 
depended  solely  upon  a  knowledge  of  our  language,  laws, 
and  customs,  and  a  good  character  as  regards  intelligence, 
industry,  and  morals,  quite  a  number  of  Chinese  would 


392  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

soon  ask  for  naturalization  -  papers,  and  would  have  a 
right  to  them.  The  fact  that  there  are  now  in  our  East 
ern  colleges  and  schools  between  one  and  two  hundred 
Chinese  youths,  supported  and  schooled  by  the  Chinese 
Government,  indicates  a  strong  national  desire  to  become 
acquainted  with  our  language,  customs,  and  principles  of 
government.  The  example  of  the  Government  in  this 
respect  is  not  lost  upon  the  people. 

As  to  the  general  morals  of  the  Chinese,  the  civiliza 
tion  of  China  is  lower  than  the  Christian  civilixation  of 
our  country.  The  standard  and  practice  of  morality  by 
the  Chinese  people  is  not  equal  to  ihe  standard  and 
practice  of  those  who  accept  the  Gospel  of  Christ  as  their 
rule  of  practice.  But  the  standard  of  Chinese  morals 
is  higher  and  better  than  that  of  any  other  heathen  nation 
in  all  the  world.  They  are  very  fond  of  their  children. 
They  have  profound  respect  for  age  and  experience. 
They  are  great  traders,  and  have  the  reputation  in  all  the 
world  of  being  as  honest  and  reliable  in  commercial  and 
business  transactions  as  are  the  people  with  whom  they 
trade.  Even  here  in  San  Francisco  it  is  true  that  the 
Chinese  have  the  reputation  of  paying  promptly  their 
rents,  taxes,  and  debts.  The  charge  of  immorality 
brought  against  the  Chinese  in  this  country  may  be 
brought  with  almost,  if  not  quite,  equal  force  against  the 
most  of  European  immigration,  whether  the  specific 
charge  be  drunkenness,  profanity,  fighting  and  quarreling, 
gambling,  or  prostitution. 

The  same  labor  bestowed  in  ferreting  out  the  vices  of 
the  thirty  thousand  Chinese  in  this  city,  if  bestowed  in 
special  efforts  to  ferret  out  the  vices  of  thirty  thousand 
immigrants  from  Europe  of  the  common  laboring  classes, 
would  produce  a  chapter  of  crime,  vice,  and  misery  quite 
equal  to  that  presented  against  the  Chinese.  Indeed,  it 
is  not  at  all  improbable  that  some  of  the  chief  manipu 
lators  of  this  Anti-Chinese  excitement  are  themselves 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  393 

guilty  of  the  very  vices  which  they  charge  against  the 
Chinese;  such  as  gambling,  prostitution,  and  incapacity 
to  hold  office  in  this  Republican  Government. 

The  charge  that  Chinese  prostitutes  are  demoralizing 
our  boys,  if  true  to  any  extent,  is  a  sad  comment  upon 
our  boasted  superiority,  upon  the  parents  of  the  boys, 
and  upon  our  municipal  authorities,  who,  knowing  of  the 
existence  of  the  evil,  permit  the  abominable  business  to 
go  on  without  let  or  hinderance.  But  there  is  one  very 
important  and  material  consideration  in  connection  with 
this  matter  of  demoralizing  our  boys  that  ought  not  to  be 
overlooked.  That  is  this:  There  are  more  liquor-saloons 
and  liquor-groceries  in  this  city  and  country  than  there 
are  Chinese  prostitutes  in  this  city  and  country.  It  is 
quite  safe  to  say  that  all  those  boys  who  visit  Chinese 
prostitutes  take  their  first  lessons  of  demoralization  in 
some  of  the  three  thousand  whisky-saloons  or  liquor- 
groceries  licensed  by  this  Christian  municipality ;  kept 
mostly,  and  patronized  largely,  by  immigrants  from  Eu 
rope.  The  same  class  of  demoralized  boys,  and  in  quite 
as  large  a  proportion,  is  found  in  all  our  Eastern  cities, 
where  Chinese  prostitution  is  not  known.  San  Francisco 
has  a  large  army  of  promising  boys  and  girls  who  scorn 
the  taste  of  liquor  as  they  do  the  embrace  of  Chinese 
prostitutes.  Of  these  boys  and  girls  we  are  justly  proud. 
If  they  are  not  first  poisoned  with  liquor,  they  will  never 
be  found  consorting  with  abandoned  Chinese  women. 

The  statement  has  been  made  that  the  Chinese  fill 
our  prisons,  jails  and  asylums;  but  the  facts,  as  shown  by 
official  reports,  do  not  sustain  the  charge.  In  the  Slate- 
prison  a  larger  per  cent  of  Chinese  criminals  is  found 
than  of  the  whites;  but  the  comparison  is  made  as  be 
tween  the  Chinese  on  the  one  hand  and  all  the  whites 
on  the  other  hand.  This  is  not  a  fair  way  to  estimate  the 
per  cent.  It  is  well  known  that  a  much  larger  per  cent 
of  crime,  vice,  and  misery  is  found  among  the  immigrants 


394  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

from  Europe  than  among-native-born  Americans.  It  will 
only  be  fair  to  compare  the  statistics  of  crime,  vice,  and 
pauperism  among  the  Chinese  immigrants  in  this  country 
with  the  statistics  of  crime,  vice,  and  pauperism  among 
the  immigrants  from  seme  European  country — Ireland, 
for  instance.  On  this  basis,  we  find  at  the  present  time, 
in  our  San  Quenrin  prison,  1,158  prisoners;  of  whom  199  are 
from  China,  160  are  from  Ireland,  615  native  Americans, 
and  184  from  other  foreign  countries.  About  four  hundred 
of  the  whole  number  are  Roman  Catholics.  From  this 
we  see  199  Chinamen  to  160  from  Ireland.  I  do  not  know 
the  whole  number  of  people  from  Ireland  in  this  State, 
but  would  not  estimate  more  than  sixty  thousand — about 
the  same  number  as  the  Chinese.  But  the  Irish  popula 
tion  has  more  women  and  children — a  class  always  less 
criminal  than  men.  So  that,  as  bad  as  the  case  is 
against  the  Chinamen  about  filling  our  prisons,  the  same 
charge  stands  with  equal  if  not  greater  force  against  the 
Irishmen.  The  official  reports  of  the  Industrial  School 
for  the  year  ending  July  I,  1875,  give:  Total  number,  225; 
native  Americans,  194;  from  Ireland,  7  ;  from  China,  4. 
Alnishouse — at  the  same  time:  Total  number,  498;  na 
tive  born,  143;  from  Ireland,  197;  from  China,  none. 
Hospital — at  the  same  time:  Total  number,  3,918;  natives 
of  United  States,  1,112;  from  Ireland,  1,308;  from  China, 
n.  That  is,  118  Irishmen  to  one  Chinaman  is  the  way 
the  Chinese  are  tilling  our  hospitals.  Pest  House — for  the 
same  time:  Total  numbe:,  22;  Chinese,  none. 

If  we  continue  to  make  the  comparison  between  our 
.Chinese  and  European  immigrants,  we  shall  find  as  large 
a  proportion  of  the  one  selling  liquor  as  of  the  other  sell 
ing  opium;  and  the  result,  in  vice,  crime,  and  poverty, 
involving  taxation  upon  the  people,  vastly  more  from  the 
sale  of  liquor  than  from  the  sale  of  opium. 

It  is  a  fact  that  the  Chinese  are  addicted  to  gambling 
and  all  kinds  of  games  of  chance,  but  there  can  be  no 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  395 

doubt  that  more  money  is  lost  and  won  in  this  city  every 
day  by  white  gamblers  than  by  all  the  Chinese  gamblers 
in  America.  The  remedy  for  this  class  of  evils,  as  well 
as  the  remedy  for  dirty  streets,  alleys,  tenements,  etc., 
would  seem  to  rest  in  the  municipal  government,  rather 
than  in  the  abrogation  of  national  treaties  or  special  acts 
of  Congress.  Gambling  and  prostitution  are  not  legalized 
and  licensed  by  the  laws  of  China.  The  laws  and  the 
higher  mandarins  generally  prohibit  these  vices,  but,  as 
in  other  countries,  petty  officials  receive  bribes  to  permit 
the  unlawful  traffic.  The  municipal  authorities  of  this 
city,  in  May  and  April  last,  demonstrated  their  ability  to 
suppress  Chinese  gambling  and  prostitution  to  a  great 
degree.  This  was  done  without  any  large  increase  of 
force  or  expense;  but  nearly  all  the  gambling -houses, 
and  many  of  the  houses  of  prostitution,  are  now  open 
again. 

The  Chinese  excite  less  riots,  commit  fewer  assaults 
and  murders  than  almost  any  other  foreign  element 
among  us.  There  is  a  class  of  bad  Chinamen  who  do 
such  things,  but  in  far  less  proportion  than  is  done  by 
their  labor  competitors  from  Europe.  Chinese  riots 
among  themselves  have  been  few,  and  they  have  never 
incited  or  engaged  in  a  riot  against  white  men  in  this 
country.  No  riot  among  themselves  in  this  country  has 
ever  begun  to  equal  the  outrages  of  the  Alameda  local- 
option  election  in  this  State,  in  which  drunken  Europeans 
insulted  and  assaulted  respectable  American  women,  and 
respectable  American-born  citizens  were  driven  by  brute 
European  force  from  the  polls.  Chinese  immigration  has 
never  yet  committed  such  an  outrage  upon  American 
people,  nor  upon  American  institutions.  As  to  assaults, 
the  Chinese  commit  few  among  themselves,  and  almost 
none  upon  white  people.  But  hardly  a  day  passes  in 
which  our  newspapers  do  not  record  a  case  of  unprovoked 
and  frequently  unpunished  assault  upon  some  inoffensive 


396  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Chinaman.  It  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  some  years  ago, 
during  Mr.  Burlingame's  stay  in  this  city,  no  assaults 
upon  the  Chinamen  were  reported,  although  quite  fre 
quent  just  before  his  arrival  and  after  his  departure. 
Possibly  the  presence  of  this  Congressional  Committee 
may  have  the  like  effect  upon  the  assaulting  parties. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  the  Chinamen  constantly  per 
jure  themselves  in  our  courts.  But  the  class  of  Chinese 
who  get  into  our  courts  are  generally  the  most  depraved 
and  unreliable.  And  then  there  is  the  difficulty  of  a 
strange  language,  through  an  interpreter,  and  strange 
processes  of  law  and  practice  of  courts  quite  confusing 
to  the  Chinamen.  The  Chinese  are  not  the  only  ones 
who  commit  perjury  in  our  courts  of  justice.  A  late 
judge  of  the  County  Court  remarked  to  me  that  perjury 
in  our  courts,  by  white  men,  is  as  common  as  is  the 
smoking  of  cigars  upon  the  street. 

After  an  experience  of  about  twenty  years  among 
this  people,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  express  my  opinion  that 
in  simple  brain  power  and  possibilities  of  culture  the  Chi 
nese  race  is  equal  to  any  other  people  in  the  world.  They 
are  capable  of  learning  our  language,  laws,  customs,  prin 
ciples  of  government,  theories,  and  practices.  We  know 
nothing  which  the  Chinese  are  incapale  of  learning. 

I  believe  the  Chinese  come  here  voluntarily  in  every 
case,  except  it  be  in  the  case  of  the  women  who  are 
brought  here  and  sold  for  vile  purposes.  All  Chinamen 
claim  that  they  came  voluntarily.  In  China  there  is  no 
system  of  slavery  so  far  as  the  male  sex  is  concerned. 
Every  unemployed  Chinaman  in  this  country  to-day  is 
open  to  a  personal,  individual  engagement  to  work  for  any 
man  who  will  hire  him.  Many  of  them  being  ignorant 
of  our  language  and  customs,  and  suspicious  of  our  hon 
esty,  choose  to  make  their  engagements  with  some  China 
man  who  has  a  contract  for  a  heavy  job,  and  who  is  re 
sponsible  for  their  wages  whether  the  white  man  keeps 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  397 

his  engagement  or  not.  The  Chinese  who  have  embraced 
Christianity  all  assert  most  positively  that  the  Chinese  do 
not  come  here  slaves  to  any  person,  nor  to  any  company. 
The  thousands  of  house  servants  all  receive  their  own 
wages  and  use  the  money  as  they  please.  If  they  were  all 
slaves  their1"  masters  would  hardly  allow  them  to  spend 
their  earnings  in  gambling,  as  many  of  them  now  do.  In 
all  the  thousands  of  Chinese  cases  that  have  been  before 
our  courts,  there  has  never  yet  been  the  shadow  of  evi 
dence  that  any  of  these  Chinese  are  slaves. 

Among  the  missionaries  and  consular  agents,  both 
here  and  in  China,  who  have  studied  the  Chinese  lan 
guage,  and  thus  are  able  to  better  understand  the  genius 
and  practices  of  the  people  than  others  are,  not  one  has 
ever  yet  been  found,  who  for  a  moment  believes  that  any 
Chinamen  in  America  are  slaves,  or  servile,  except  in  the 
sense  of  being  unskilled  menial  laborers.  There  is  no 
class  .of  laborers  in  America  more  free  to  do  as  they 
please  than  are  the  Chinamen.  They  often  borrow  money 
to  get  here  and  agree  to  pay  high  premium  or  interest, 
but  the  agreement  is  in  the  amount  of  money  rather  than 
in  the  number  of  years  of  service.  At  the  present  time, 
the  most  who  come,  if  assisted  at  all,  are  assisted  by  their 
relations  or  friends  or  townsmen  who  are  here.  They 
come  for  the  express  purpose  of  making  money  to  better 
their  condition.  They  come  at  first,  probably  in  all  cases, 
with  the  hope  and  intention  of  acquiring  a  little  compe 
tency,  and  returning  to  their  own  country  to  enjoy  it, 
just  as  all  Californians  in  early  days  came.  Many  of 
them,  however,  become  so  attached  to  this  country  and 
to  our  ways  that  they  are  not  contented  in  China  and 
choose  to  come  back  here  to  live  and  die,  and  the  num 
ber  of  such  is  constantly  increasing. 

They  are  willing  to  do  any  kind  of  labor,  and  as  labor 
ers  they  are  generally  industrious,  faithful  and  satisfactory. 
Instead  of  preventing  white  labor  from  coming  here  from 


398  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

Europe  and  from  our  Eastern  Slates,  I  believe  that  up  to 
this  time  \ve  have  had  a  larger  immigration  of  that  class 
that  we  should  have  received  had  the  Chinese  not  been 
here. 

As  to  health,  we  have  no  more  healthy  class  among 
us  than  the  Chinese.  As  to  cleanliness,  the  Chinese  are 
not  a  neat  and  clean  people,  but  in  this  city  and  country 
I  do  not  think  they  are  more  filthy  than  the  same  num 
ber  of  European  common  laborers. 

The  Chinese  in  America  are  nearly  all  from  the 
province  of  Canton,  in  the  south  of  China,  and  sail  from 
Hongkong,  a  British  port  in  the  south  of  China.  P'ew  Chi 
namen  in  this  country,  in  proportion  to  their  number, 
have  brought  their  families  will)  them.  It  is  not  their 
custom  when  emigrating  to  any  country  to  take  their  first 
wives  and  children  with  them.  Their  women  are  averse 
to  coming.  Their  treatment  in  this  country  has  not  encour 
aged  them  to  bring  their  families  to  settle  here.  And  yet 
they  claim  between  one  and  two  hundred  first  wives,  and 
there  are  many  times  that  number  of  second  wives.  Many 
of  these  men  become  attached  to  the  prostitutes  whom  they 
visit,  purchase  them,  and  live  with  them  as  husband  and 
wife,  and  the  children,  if  any  are  born,  are  considered  le 
gitimate.  Lately  many  are  marrying  alter  our  forms.  I 
myself  have  married  about  forty  Chinese  couples  in  the 
last  three  years.  I  suppose  there  are  five  or  six  thousand 
Chinese  women  in  this  country,  the  most  of  whom  are 
prostitutes.  They  are  bought  and  sold  like  slaves. 

There  are  "  Six  Chinese  Companies,"  representing 
the  principal  places  from  which  the  Chinese  have  come. 
Besides  these  general  companies  there  are  several  socie 
ties,  or  guilds,  or  unions,  representing  different  trades  and 
pursuits,  such  as  the  Washerman's  Guild,  an  association 
of  the  Chinese  laundrymen  composed  of  men  from  all 
the  different  Six  Companies.  The  "Hip  Yee  Tong"  as 
sociation,  and  the"Po  Sang  Tong"  association,  whose 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  399 

principal  business  has  been  to  stimulate  and  protect  Chi 
nese  gambling  and  tlie  woman  traffic.     There  is  also  the 
Chinese  Young  Men's  Christian    Association.     This   last 
has  severed  all  connection  with  the  Six  Companies.     The 
famous  Six  Companies  are   simple  voluntary  associations 
for  mutual    protection    and  benefit.     It    is  the   universal 
custom  of  the  Chinese  when  emigrating  to  any  new  coun 
try  at  once  to  form  themselves  into  a  guild  or  association 
of  this  kind,  and  every  Chinaman  from  the  same  region 
naturally  seeks  membership  in  this  guild.     They  at  once 
open  a  hall  or  general  meeting-place,  and   often  connect 
with  it  a  temple  or  altar  to  the   local  divinities  of  their 
native  place.     They  elect  annually  their  officers  in  a  very 
democratic  way.     Differences  that  arise  among  themselves 
are  referred  to  the  officers  and  leading  influential   mem 
bers  for  arbitration  and  settlement.     Advice  and  aid  are 
given  to  the  new-comer  and  to  the  sick.     They  are  not 
mercantile  firms  in  any  sense.     Neither  are  they  courts  of 
justice,   but   voluntary    associations   for  mutual   aid    and 
benefit.     They  do  not  claim,  nor  do  they  exercise  any  ju 
dicial  authority.      Cases    are  constantly  occurring  where 
their  advice  and  arbitration  are  not  accepted  and  the  dis 
putes  are  brought  into  our  courts  of  justice.     All   the  re 
straining  power  which  these  companies  hold  or  exercise 
is  through   an    arrangement  with    the  various   steamship 
companies,  by  which  no  Chinaman  can  purchase  a  pas 
sage  to  China  without  first  procuring  a  permit  of  departure 
from  these  companies.     They  claim  to  do  this  to  prevent 
dishonest  Chinamen  from  running  away  before  their  debts 
are  paid.    They  also  claim  that  all  the  Chinese  in  this  coun 
try  hold  memberships  in  these  companies  except  the  mem 
bers  of  the  Chinese  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  ; 
but  they  deny  the  charge  of  importing  or  owning  any  man. 
The   masses  of   the  Chinese   in  this  country  are  ig 
norant  of,  and  take  little  or  no  interest  in,  our  politics;  but 
among  the  merchants,  and  especially  among  the  young 


400  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

men  attending  the  mission-schools  are  found  many  who 
take  an  intelligent  interest  in  the  institutions  and  politics 
of  the  country. 

The  most  of  the  Chinese  now  in  America  were  com 
mon  laborers,  farmers  and  such  like  in  their  own  country. 
They  were  mostly  poor,  industrious  people,  just  as  they 
are  here.  Except  it  be  in  the  separation  from  their  fami 
lies  the  general  physical  condition  of  the  Chinese  is  bet 
ter  in  this  country  than  in  China,  and  is  constantly  im 
proving. 

The  population  of  China  is  from  three  hundred  and 
fifty  to  four  hundred  millions.  Their  civilization  is  lower 
than  the  Christian  civilization  of  America.  The  religion 
of  the  educated  may  be  formulated  as  a  blind  fatality; 
the  religion  of  the  masses  a  heartless,  superstitious  idol 
atry.  The  work  of  Christianizing  the  Chinese  nation  was 
at  first  slow,  but  very  great  progress  has  been  made,  and 
now  the  work  is  progressing  much  faster  than  ever  before. 
As  an  instance,  the  Mission  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  at  Foochow  was  established  ten  full  years  before 
a  single  convert  was  baptized,  but  now  it  numbers  about 
two  thousand  active  Church  members  and  probationers 
scattered  throughout  the  province,  and  about  twice  that 
number  of  attendants  upon  the  regular  Christian  services. 
In  this  one  mission  there  are  some  seventy  native  preach 
ers,  several  of  whom  are  ordained,  and  of  whom  Bishop 
Harris  says,  for  intelligence,  enterprise,  self-sacrifice,  de 
votion  to  their  work,  eloquence  and  general  ability  and 
influence  over  the  people,  they  will  compare  favorably 
with  an  equal  number  of  Methodist  ministers  in  any  of 
the  conferences  of  America.  Many  of  the  preachers  arc 
now  supported  entirely  or  in  part  by  the  native  Churches. 
They  have  proved  their  sincerity  by  enduring  persecu 
tion,  even  to  blows  and  imprisonment,  for  the  sake  of 
their  religion.  These  Chinese  Christians  are  not  often 
found  in  the  service  of  the  mercantile  community,  nor  in 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  401 

the  employ  of  ship  captains.  They  are  almost  never  seen 
by  this  class  of  Americans  and  Europeans.  I  candidly 
doubt  whether  Captain  King  ever  saw  a  Chinaman,  either 
in  China  or  America,  who  was  recognized  as  a  Christian. 
The  missionary  work  in  China  is  all  done  in  the  Chinese 
language.  Few,  if  any,  of  the  Chinese  Christians  can 
speak  English  at  all,  and  that  excludes  them  generally 
from  European  and  American  service. 

The  persons  who  testify  that  there  are  no  Chinese 
Christians  are  persons  who  know  nothing  about  the  mat 
ter,  have  never  visited  the  Missions,  and  have  never  come 
in  contact  with  Chinese  Christians.  These  same  persons, 
if  called  upon  to  testify,  would  likely  say  that  there  were 
no  real  Christians  in  the  world,  and  that  Christianity  itself 
is  a  humbug. 

There  are  now  over  twelve  thousand  communicants 
of  the  Protestant  Christian  Churches  in  China,  and  a  line 
of  Christian  chapels  and  communities  all  along  up  and 
down  the  coast,  so  that  a  traveler  can  travel  by  land  from 
Canton  to  Shanghai  and  stop  at  night  a  large  part  of  the 
way  at  some  Protestant  chapel  and  be  entertained  by  a 
Chinese  Protestant  family. 

In  California  there  are  about  three  hundred  Chinese 
who  have  been  baptized  and  received  into  the  different 
Protestant  Churches.  If  we  include  those  who  belong  to 
the  Chinese  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  the 
various  associations  for  learning  Christian  doctrines,  the 
number  comes  up  nearly  to  one  thousand.  Their  character 
is  such  that  many  Chinese  who  are  not  Christians,  falsely 
claim  to  be  such,  or  to  belong  to  the  Mission  schools  in 
order  to  gain  the  confidence  of  their  employers.  The 
most  of  these  men  make  sacrifices  and  endure  contempt 
for  the  sake  of  the  truth.  One  young  man  in  my  employ, 
as  a  native  assistant  at  San  Jose,  lives  in  the  face  of  a  con 
stant  offer  of  much  larger  wages  if  he  will  stop  preaching 
and  enter  a  Chinese  mercantile  firm.  His  character  is 
26 


402  THE  CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 

such  that  the  Anti-Chinese  Society  at  San  Jose  reported 
him  as  reliable  authority  on  Chinese  matters,  but  garbled 
his  statistics  in  their  testimony. 

Another  young,  man  now  earning  fifteen  dollars  a 
week  proposes  to  leave  his  employment  and  take  serv 
ice  as  an  assistant  preacher  of  the  Gospel  at  six  dollars 
a  week. 

I  knew  an  instance  of  a  young  Chinaman  in  this 
city  who  was  cruelly  whipped  by  his  molher-in-law  to 
make  him  renounce  his  faith  in  the  Christian  religion  ;  but 
he  remained  firm,  gained  the  confidence  of  his  father, 
and  is  now  a  trusted  and  efficient  clerk  in  the  Chinese 
customs  in  China.  I  have  never  known  of  more  than  one 
or  two  instances  of  Chinese  Christians  relapsing  into  idol 
atry.  1  do  not  believe  that  any  Protestant  missionary  or 
gentleman  acquainted  with  the  facts  of  the  case  ever 
stated  that  most  of  the  Chinese  Christians  were  hypocrites 
and  soon  fell  back  into  idolatry.  The  Chinese  Christians 
of  the  Methodist  Mission,  as  to  general  integrity,  honesty 
and  character,  will  compare  favorably  with  the  Christians 
of  other  Methodist  Churches  of  this  city.  The  yearly  in 
crease  is  also  about  the  same  in  proportion  as  that  gath 
ered  in  other  Churches  from  the  adult  male  population. 

Something  has  been  said  about  the  cruelty  and  pirat 
ical  character  of  all  Chinese,  unwillingness  to  aid  their  fel 
low-men  in  suffering.  They  have  public  granaries  from 
which  the  poor  are  fed  at  public  expense  in  time  of  famine. 
They  have  lately  imposed  severe  regulations  requiring  all 
vessels,  sailors,  soldiers,  and  officers — civil  and  military 
and  naval — to  aid  and  succor  shipwrecked  vessels,  to 
save  life  and  property,  giving  rewards  to  those  who  obey 
and  punishing  those  who  neglect  to  obey.  In  the  recent 
floods  that  destroyed  so  many  houses  and  people,  the  offi 
cers  required  all  boats  to  assist  the  suffering  and  rescue 
the  drowning.  Those  who  refused  were  immediately  pun 
ished.  The  dealers  in  rice  formed  a  ring  and  raised  the 


CONGRESSIONAL  COMMITTEE.  403 

price  so  high  as  to  distress  the  people.  The  mandarins 
immediately  published  a  fixed  rate  for  rice  and  food. 
Any  violation  of  the  rule  was  followed  by  confiscation  of 
property. 

The  repeal  of  the  Burlingame  treaty  with  China  would 
not  affect  the  right  of  the  Chinese  to  come  here.  Our 
institutions  are  such  that  it  requires  no  treaty  to  allow  any 
people  to  come  to  us.  The  Chinese  have  no  rights  in  this 
country  under  any  and  all  our  .treaties,  which  they  would 
not  have  under  the  Constitution  and  our  laws  if  there 
were  no  treaties.  The  treaties  with  China  are  for  the  ben 
efit,  advantage  and  protection  of  Americans  in  China, 
and  secure  to  us  rights  and  privileges  which  we  other 
wise  could  not  enjoy.  The  only  valid  objections  against 
Chinese  immigration,  which  will  not  hold  equally  against 
European  immigration,  are  two:  I.  The  slowness  with 
which  the  Chinese  assimilate,  and  the  mere  possibility 
(not  probability)  of  their  coming  in  vast  and  overpower 
ing  numbers.  Believe  it  would  be  well  to  restrict  all  im 
migration  to  two  hundred  arrivals  on  any  vessel  at  a  sin 
gle  entry.  Do  not  think  the  Chinese  Government  would 
really  object,  to  such  restriction  except  as  a  mere  matter 
of  sharp  diplomacy.  The  masses  of  China  for  industry, 
frugality,  and  obedience  to  law  will  compare  favorably 
with  the  peasantry  of  Europe, — say  of  Russia,  Austria, 
Italy,  France,  and  Ireland. 

For  the  remainder  of  the  writer's  testimony 
the  reader  will  please  turn  to  Chapter  II,  of 
this  book,  which  was  read  at  the  request  of  the 
Commission  in  answer  to  Senator  Morton's  in 
quiry  concerning  the  civilization,  customs,  man 
ners,  language,  etc.,  of  the  Chinese  people. 


14      6 3  9  § 


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